Whatever It Takes
by HeySoulSister9
Summary: Gwen is left fatally injured after a violent assault and soon after she is mysteriously abducted. As precious time ticks away it seems as if all the odds are against them. Is Arthur able to overcome all the obstacles in their way in order to save the woman he loves? Only one thing is certain- he will do whatever it takes to get her back! (COMPLETED)
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer:_**** I obviously don't own Merlin**

**_A brief introduction to the story:_**** set between 3x6 and 3x7, however Morganna was never found at the beginning of series 3 so she doesn't feature in this story at all. Arthur and Gwen's relationship is still secret and Uther has no clue, the only people who know are Merlin, Gaius and Gwaine (plus Leon who has his suspicions). Because the story is set before 3x7 Elyan and Percy are not on the scene. Sorry if this is confusing but trust me it's easy to follow.**

**This chapter is a introduction to the main story so sorry if it's a bit boring but keep reading... it gets really exciting!**

Chapter 1 

"Guinevere" he whispered, a shiver travelling down her spine at the sound of her name escaping his lips. How was it that he always had this effect on her.

She turned around to meet his warm smile.

"I haven't spoken with you since yesterday morning," he said slowly carefully. She hadn't come to see him as she usually did and he couldn't understand why. He missed her terribly... so much it hurt. "How are you?" he asked quietly, the affection clear in his voice.

She sighed, and admitted truthfully "Busy... preparing for the arrival for King Niryal. The bed, floors, table, chairs, wardrobe and curtains in the guest sleeping quarters have to be cleaned to perfection... and I'm completely exhausted." She took a deep breath and kept her eyes focused on the floor. She felt so guilty burdening Arthur with this, and wished she hadn't been so honest.

Arthur carefully placed his palm under her chin and raised her head, so that her soft brown eyes met his deep blue ones. "Oh right... Gwen... I'm sorry. I should have realised how hard you have been working for this visit. It's just... I started to think you were avoiding me... You know... Because of what happened recently," he admitted, pain in his eyes.

How could she forget.

The 'recent events' he referred to happened a few weeks back, when Uther arranged a marriage between Arthur and princess Elena. In the end, Arthur had refused and told Uther he would only ever marry for love, which would have been fine if Arthur's sudden confession of love hadn't made Uther highly suspicious. Ever since then, they had to be more careful, more secretive. That meant no more wandering glances across the room, no more discreet touches of each others hands when they passed in the corridor and a lot less of the secret kisses in empty alcoves. It was killing Arthur. But Gwen's safety came first. He knew what Uther would do if he learned of his intentions with Gwen, and he couldn't bear the thought of any harm coming to her, especially is it was his fault.

"Of course I'm not avoiding you, how could I? I love you Arthur, I hate us being apart!" Gwen admitted passionately. Arthur's eye lit up when she exclaimed her love, and a familiar warmth grew in his stomach, banishing any doubts.

"Everything has just been so hectic, there's so much work to be done in time for the Kings arrival."

"Of course, I should have realised... Sorry." Gwen looked at his face, etched with apology.

"Don't apologise," she replied, "it's fine, honestly. But there's something else isn't there? What's troubling you Arthur?" He felt the warmth grow inside him again when she said his name. It was the way she said it- softly, hinting at her love for him. How did she always have this effect on him? He looked into her large brown eyes- full of concern he knew he could trust her, she was the only one who he could share his true thoughts with.

"My father has never been friends with King Niryal. It has taken me months to convince him that this trip could be the start towards a new alliance. A peace treaty between our two lands would be... well... It would be beyond our best hopes for Camelot and for peace." His words spoke of joy and hope but his face was wracked with nerves. Gwen could tell that something was still bothering him, reaching out to touch his fingers with her own, she spoke her mind.

"But deep down you know that Uther is too proud and too...well... arrogant to make peace with his former enemy. You're worried that this visit might backfire?" He looked at her with astonishment.

His fingers entwined with hers as he spoke: "You never fail to surprise me Guinevere. I think you know me better than I know myself!" She smiled at his comment.

"And if I know you as well as you think, I know you have nothing to fear. Niryal will see past your fathers arrogance, he will see the great king you are becoming and he will be eager to make peace with you." Then her voice became lighter and less serious, "and if you're worried about Merlin making a mess of things I've already offered to share his duties to king Niryal. He was certainly relieved and I promise you can rely on me."

Arthur gripped her fingers even tighter, he was now aware of all the hard work she'd done to prepare for the King's visit, he didn't want to cause her any excess work- he knew that Kings could be very demanding. Gwen gripped his fingers back and gave them a light squeeze.

With a reassuring smile she said "This is important to you and to Camelot, that makes it important to me." He stared into her eyes once more and was engulfed in love and determination.

He knew he could rely on her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

In the distance, they could see King Niryal arriving, joined by a few of his closer knights. When he reached the castle Uther greeted him with a forced smile on his face. Niryal was a tall man and very well built. His sturdy muscles were due to years of vigorous army training but what caught Arthur's attention the most was his large, sturdy palms. They gave the impression that he could overpower anyone with only his bare hands.

Uther then introduced Niryal to Arthur who (after studying his form) led him through the castle to the guest sleeping quarters. Once they reached their destination Arthur couldn't help but admire all Gwen's hard work. The room, rarely used and usually covered in a thick layer of dust and grime, was immaculate. The furniture shone to the extent reflections were visible on the spotless floor. As Niryal inspected the room Arthur realised Gwen's determination for Camelot to make a good impression on the King.

Just as Arthur thought about her, Gwen appeared in the doorway holding a tray of rich food.  
"Ahh King Niryal, this is Guinevere who will be working alongside the other servant Merlin."

The king turned to face the newcomer and looked unimpressed, "What is the need for two servants?" he criticised.

"Well, both Merlin and Guinevere have other duties so it would be more effective to split the job between them. I assure you they are the best Camelot has to offer... Unless you have any objection?"

King Niryal sighed in a exasperated manner, "No that is fine, as long as they are ready to start right away."

"Of course sire, I believe Guinevere has brought your dinner already." At his words Gwen set down the tray and began to serve the food. Arthur gave her a reassuring smile and left quietly. He hoped that King Niryal lightened up for the peace talks later that evening, because if things went badly between Niryal and Uther ... really badly... then Camelot could be facing war.

_This is going to be easier than I thought. Uther is too blinded by his grudge against me to care and the young prince is so desperate for peace it makes him gullible. If only I could slip away for a few minutes... it shouldn't take too long to find..._

"Sire I have been sent to deliver a message from king Uther..."

Niryal looked up to see a pair of large brown eyes gazing at him expectantly. This was the first time he viewed the girl properly: she was smallish with long, brown hair flowing in tightly coiled curls down her back. Her face glowed with a natural beauty and her features were drawn delicately. He yearned to reach out and stroke the soft skin on her cheek, desperate to know how it felt beneath his strong hands.

"...he sends his apologies as urgent business requires him to leave the castle for roughly two weeks."  
She paused for a moment for the news to sink in before continuing.  
"Now, do you require anything else my Lord, I can fetch Merlin if you desire a bath or change of clothes."

Niryal ignored her, his thoughts still on Uther's absence.

_This will make it much easier. There is more chance of finding them without Uther's pestering interference. I could never stand him. Typical Uther, disappearing during the arrival of a royal guest_.

"Sire?"  
Her voice brought him back to reality- for the second time.

There was something about her voice that effected him so. Beneath it's gentleness he could detect a small hint of authority, hidden underneath the patient, humble demeanour she upheld. This serving girl was a puzzle... a beautiful puzzle... he found himself drawn to her!

"No that will be all, leave me now" he answered sharply, trying to restrain himself.

"Yes sire, as you wish."  
Again there it was, the authoritative tone beneath her humble words.

Niryal knew that this girl would be hard to resist.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Arthur caught Gwen's arm as she walked through the empty corridor away from the guest quarters. She gasped as he quickly swung her around to face him, a wide grin dominating his face.

"Arthur!" she exclaimed breathlessly, "You know we can't- not here."

"I know," he said, the cheeky grin still in place, "I just wanted to see you. Oh and how things are going with Niryal. Is he impressed?"

"Hardly. Besides he doesn't say much, mainly just grunts, sighs and makes rude comments."

"Hmmmm" Arthur was going to have his work cut out convincing both kings that peace was the way forward. He was so deep in thought he didn't notice Gwen slip away in the direction of the palace gardens.

###

Niryal watched from the window of his quarters as Gwen wandered through the gardens, admiring the flowers and talking with various other servants. He watched the way her hair moved in the wind, heavy curls bouncing against her back, thin wisps flying wildly around her head. His hands ached to hold it, caress it in his calloused hands, stroke each soft curl around his fingers.

A knock sounded on the door and he snapped himself out of his thoughts.

He needed to control himself!

He answered the door to a lanky boy dressed in a blue tunic and red neck scarf.

"Sire, I am here to collect the dinner tray." he explained.

"And who might you be?" Niryal questioned with a sneer.

"Merlin, sire."

"Oh, well I'm not finished with it yet. Send the girl to collect it later." He struggled to conceal the sly grin on his face.

Merlin left without a word. He had already known that Niryal had not eaten his food, he had been to busy for that...

Merlin had followed him (unknown to Niryal) and watched him as he secretly inspected the weapons room and various scrolls locked away in a disguised hidehole. How had he gotten the key? What was he looking for? Why was he being so mysterious? Merlin had none of the answers but he knew something... this king was up to no good, and things weren't looking good for the peace treaty.

###

Later that night, Gwen entered Niryal's chambers to collect his dinner tray- little did she know that he had other intentions.

As she approached the table Niryal discretely nudged his fork off the table so that it fell to the floor with a clatter. The sly grin crept onto his face again as he put his devious plan into action...

Gwen bent down to retrieve the fork. She didn't see Niryal push it towards the table edge, but she sensed that something wasn't right.

Then, still bent over, she felt a pair of strong hands grip her backside.

She stood up in a flash.

Niryal was standing close behind her, so close she could feel his ragged breathing on the nape of her neck. And his hands... his hands held her bum with such strength, she tried to wriggle from his hold but he simply spun her around and backed her up against a wall.

Now she was trapped.

He pushed his full body weight against her, feeling her soft curves mould into him. The feel of her lucious body pressed so close to him made his manhood stiffen; Gwen could feel it hard against her thigh. She tried to scream out but he blocked her mouth with a large hand. With his other hand we stroked the soft porcelain skin on her face, the very thing he had fantasized about doing for so long now.

He held her face roughly in one hand (the other still on her mouth), not in the loving way Arthur did, but possessive and lustful. He paused for a moment, breathing in her scent while explicit images dominated his mind.

Gwen was out of her mind with terror. Pinned against the wall unable to speak- she was truly helpless. Gwen scrunched her eyes shut tight and gritted her teeth in an attempt to prepare herself for whatever he was planning to do.

His eyes finished scrutinising her face and wandered down her body. Niryal was tall and fairly well built, so standing over her he had the perfect view down the front of her low cut dress. His eyes devoured the sight of her plentiful bosom, spilling out over her tight bodice, the smooth coffee brown skin rising and falling in time with her panicked breathing.

His spare hand slowly trailed down her neck, continuing lower until it rested in a very private place...

Suddenly, his hand delved down the top of her dress - ripping it clean open- and gripped her fully in his large hand. He stroked the delicate skin with such lust and desire.

She felt sick to her stomach at his touch. She struggled against him with every ounce of her energy and his attention lifted to her face again.

Her eyes brimmed with tears, silently begging him for mercy, pleading for him to stop. He stared into them and whispered seductively.  
"You want me to stop?"  
With her mouth still covered by his hand Gwen nodded her head ferociously.

But his eyes still burned with the same lust: he still longed to have her, to steal her virtue.  
"Ha. But you're just a servant why should I listen to you?" he sneered.

Then without any hesitation both hands flew to her skirt as he tugged it upwards, over her toned thighs.

Gwen put up a fight. She squirmed and kicked and even attempted to bite him... but he was just too strong. With one last sharp pull Niryal managed to lift her skirts, but not without leaving several long rips in the fabric. As his hands moved to his belt Gwen seized the chance to kick her knee straight into his stomach. It was a perfect hit but he was alot stronger than her. Seemingly unfazed, he retaliated by lifting his hand and striking her face with such force that her vision became blurred and she could taste blood in her mouth.

But she couldn't give up.

She kicked her knee into his stomach again, and combined with the first kick it was enough to wind him for a few seconds.

A few precious seconds.

She flew from the chambers faster than she had ever ran in her life. Racing through the maze of corridors in the castle, she knew he would never catch her. She had grown up in this endless maze of corridors, but to him it would be completely foreign.

She stopped for a second to catch her breath and a sudden realisation dawned on her. He had touched her, he had violated her and he was about to...he almost...he tried to...

The thought repulsed her! The idea of what would have happened a minute later made her feel sick to her stomach. Nausea built up until she could feel the burning sensation in her throat.

She could contain it no longer!

She threw up all over the stone floor and stumbled a few steps until her mind went black and the darkness engulfed her.

She fell onto the hard floor with a loud thud...the sound of her head hitting the cold tiles echoing through the corridor.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Merlin had been making his way to King Niryal's chambers to check that he wasn't sneaking around the castle again, when he heard the sound of a struggle.

From a distance, he saw Gwen fleeing the room in distress: hair wild, tears streaming down her face, her dress in shreds. Merlin attempted to follow her but she quickly disappeared into the web of corridors. Something was wrong... something was very wrong!

He sped back to the guest quarters but they were empty. There was no sign of Niryal or any of his belongings. He had left. So much for the peace treaty.

###

Arthur rounded the corner eyes intent, face full of anxiety. He stiffened when he saw her crumpled body lying in a heap on the ground, a patch of vomit nearby, the putrid stench unbearable.

Then he registered the pool of deep red circling her head. He screamed her name and bolted towards her, Merlin close behind. Arthur collapsed next to her, his hands shaking with fear as he failed to wake her.

"G... Guinevere, Gwen w... w.. wake up" he stammered but received no reply.

"I'll get Gaius" Merlin said eyeing the puddles of blood and sick on the floor.

Arthur pulled Gwen onto his lap and held her in his arms. He hugged her close and nestled his head into her soft curls, tears dripping from his sea blue eyes and rolling down his distraught face. More blood was emanating from her head and the pool on the floor was now twice as big... she was losing blood at an alarming rate!

Carefully, Arthur gathered her in his arms and lifted her off the ground. He carried her all the way to his chambers, her head resting against his chest, his arms wrapped protectively around her. When he reached his room he laid Gwen on the bed above the covers and tried his best to stop the blood flow.

A minute later Merlin rushed into the room followed by a completely out of breath Gaius. They saw Arthur standing by the bed looking completely lost, his white linen tunic stained a deep red. Instantly the pair began work using various ointments, stitches and bandages to stop the bleeding wound on Gwen's forehead.

When the bleeding had finally stopped, they moved hesitantly towards to Arthur, knowing what would happen next.

"Arthur... we have managed to stem the blood flow but... Sire" Gaius said as neared Arthur. "I'm going go have to ask you to leave sire while I examine Gwen." Then came the answer that both Merlin and Gaius were expecting.

"NO...I won't leave her Gaius. Not now."

"Arthur I must insist, it is the only way to determine the correct treatment."

"I'm not leaving her Gaius. Not when she needs me most. Please you must understand, I need to make sure she's safe."

At his words, Arthur reached for Gwen's hand and held it in both of his own.

Gaius sighed, there was no point in arguing. "As you wish sire. But I will need to examine her properly when she wakes. As for now, I expect she has concussion from her head injury. I can brew a remedy for her but the best thing Gwen needs is rest. Also I would advise you treat the situation delicately, sire, as it is likely that she was..." He stopped abruptly, fearing that he had said too much already. Silently, Gaius retreated from the room.

Arthur looked confused at hearing Gaius's words. He had been in such a state of shock earlier that he hadn't actually observed Gwen's injuries apart from the obvious wound. His eyes focused again on the blood soaked bandage on her forehead, the deep cut inflicted by the fall. But then he noticed the other things...

His eyes flitted to the huge purple bruise covering a huge section of her left cheek. He presumed it had been a result of the fall, but now he thought about it, bruises don't usually appear so quickly. It was a lot more likely that this injury was caused before she fell. He flinched when he considered how painful it must be, only something remarkably powerful could have effected the skin so badly. Then his eyes moved to her split lip- swollen and inflamed. Then to the bodice of her dress which was ripped in half, her bosom hugely on show but luckily mostly hidden by her undergarments. Then his eyes travelled further down her body to notice five small circular bruises on her right wrist, each roughly the size of a mans fingerprint. Then his eyes moved to the ripped material at the bottom of her dress. He knew this type of fabric was relatively tough- after all he had bought it for Gwen as a gift- and that you would have to be pretty strong to rip it.

Arthur pulled up a chair by the bed and sat deep in thought. His face showed a mixture of disbelief and disgust as he pieced together the pieces.

Suddenly Arthur stormed out of his seat and kicked the wall in anger. He started pacing furiously.

Someone had attacked Guinevere... and they were going to pay!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Merlin watched as Arthur paced furiously, his eyes blazing with immense rage, his hands clenched in tight fists. The agony of not knowing who was responsible- but yet wanting desperately to delve his sword into the man and slice him into peices- was too almost too much for Arthur to bear. He needed revenge! He needed the culprit to feel every ounce of pain and fear that he had caused Guinevere. He wanted to kill him: painfully.

"Arthur, you need to keep control. Gwen needs you, be strong for her."

Arthur looked up at his servant. No... his loyal friend. The anger in his eyes remained but he calmly seated himself back in the chair next to Gwen. Merlin placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "You'll get through this. Trust me. It'll be hard, but you'll get through it together."

Merlin left without another word.

###

Arthur woke up to the blinding sunshine seeping through the unclosed curtains.

It had been a hard night.

He attempted to open his eyes but they seemed too heavy with exaustion to work. He had spent the entire night in the chair at Gwen's side, resting his head on the pillow close to hers.

The night had been torturous. His brain was working overtime and when sleep finally came it was plauged with horrific nightmares. Visions of Gwen lying- deathly still - in a pool of blood, Arthur franticly trying to save her as her life drained away. Arthur sobbing into Gwen's lifeless body, gripping her close to his chest, desperate to hear the familiar sound of her rhythmic heartbeat. But she was gone... forever!

Everytime he woke up in a cold sweat with tears streaming down his terrified face, sobbing incomprehensibly into Gwen's hair. Merlin was right- he needed to be strong for her, but the anger still welled up inside him and it was unbelievably hard to control.

With his father still away on urgent business, Arthur had feigned illness and Gaius had 'forbidden anyone from entering the prince's quarters', meaning Arthur could spend the whole day in his chambers by Gwen's side- without arousing suspicion.

As he delicately stroked a stray curl from her face, he let a silent tear roll gently down his face. The last 3 days had been hell. And it wasn't over yet! Gaius had informed both Arthur and Merlin that he couldn't determine the extent of Gwen's injuries until she gained consciousness, and he had also told them that with each day she stayed unconscious the less likely it was that she would ever wake. Deep down Arthur had already realised this. Her breathing was growing fainter with each coming day and as he rested his head on her chest, he noticed that her heartbeat had weakened.

Arthur prayed earnestly for her recovery and pleaded with her to wake up, but it seemed all hope was lost.

###

Arthur woke up to blinding light, realising that he had yet again failed to close the curtains. It was the 6th day after Gwen's accident- 6 days of hell. He opened his sleepy eyes to rest on her beaten up face beside him on the pillow. The reminders of her ordeal were still hideously obvious, but to him she looked as beautiful as ever. Arthur gently stroked a few stray curls off her bruised cheek, as he did every morning, and lightly pressed his lips to her forehead, placing a soft kiss.

He thought he felt her stir underneath him and froze... nothing. He must have imagined it; it wasn't the first time he had been so desperate for her to wake that his mind thought she moved.

Arthur sighed, this was pure torment for him. Gaius' words still hung heavily in his mind, if she didn't wake soon he might lose her forever. The future they dreamt of together would be demolished; he would never get the chance to tell her how much she really meant to him, that without her, his life ahead looked bleak and unimaginable. He held her hand firmly in his, desperate to hold on to her.

That's when he felt it!

Small and brief though it was, it was real!

A weak- but unmistakeable- squeeze from the hand he was holding!

Arthur's eyes lit up. There was hope, all was not lost yet.

"Gwen...Guinevere can you hear me? Wake up my love...please Gwen...if you can hear me please wake up." His voice wavered with desperation.

Suddenly her eyelids started to flutter open. Only for a few seconds and then exhaustion would overwhelm her and her eyes clamp shut. But then they would flutter open again for a brief time, determined to resist the strain of such a small action.

Arthur gasped and a smile started to form on his face as he encouraged her to wake up. "Gwen, it's me...can you hear me. I'm here Gwen, I'm staying right here. Please wake up...for me?"

She started to shift around at the sound of his voice and Arthurs smile slowly turned into a relieved grin. He was so grateful that she was recovering. With his free hand, he started to stroke loose curls away from her forehead- as he always did- trying to calm her as her movements became more panicked.

"Arth...Ar...Arthur...Ar...Arthur" she mumbled whilst kicking her legs and weakly thrashing her arms. Her head tossed from side to side as she continued to mutter.

"Shhhh, it's alright I'm here, I'm here Gwen, you're safe now, I won't let anyone hurt you ever again...I promise Gwen. It's alright, shhhh." At the comforting sound of his voice, Gwen calmed down. Her eyes slowly twitched open- but this time they didn't close.

"Arthur," she turned to look into his deep blue eyes and could instantly read everything he was feeling. Relief, happiness and hope, but also the lingering grief, anger and self-hate. Why did he hate himself?

"Gwen!" he gasped and embraced her tightly, holding her firmly in his arms. "Gwen, I thought I'd lost you, I was so scared Gwen, so scared that you would never wake. I love you so much, so so so much, more than life itself. I'm never leaving you again Gwen, my life is nothing without you, this kingdom is worthless without you by my side." he sobbed uncontrollably into her hair, placing soft kisses all over her forehead and cheek.

"Ar...Arthur...I love you too, with all my heart. I...I...I..."

"Shhh don't strain yourself, you need rest. Go to sleep, I'll call Gaius for when you wake."

"Don't leave me..."

"Never. I swear."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Luckily there isn't any sign of internal bleeding or swelling caused by the fall. However, it is impossible for me to determine the extent of the damage it caused to your brain. Also it is likely that there will be side effects due to the fact that you were unconscious for nearly a week."

"What sort of Side effects," Gwen asked with a worried expression. Now that she had gained consciousness, Gwen and Gaius were in the room alone- after a reluctant Arthur had been dragged out by Merlin- and Gaius was finishing his examination.

"Maybe vomiting, maybe dizziness and fainting, maybe memory loss, it differs from person to person. But nothing too serious."

Gwen let out a sigh of relief.

"But I should warn you Gwen, you suffered a severe head trauma and are extremely lucky to have got off so lightly. I should tell you...for a while it seemed near impossible that you would survive, you lost a dangerous amount of blood Gwen, and you were in a coma for almost a week. Given this, it is vital that you rest. Take some time off and recover properly."

Gwen nodded silently. It was a lot to take in. Had she really been on the brink of death? Was it that serious? And almost a full week unconscious, had it really been that long?

Raised voices outside her room broke her thoughts. She realised that Gaius had left the room and must be talking to someone outside. But when she listened closely it sounded as if there were several voices. It was lucky it was mid-day -when the castle is at its busiest- otherwise they would be drawing a lot of attention to the chambers of a supposed sick prince, who was currently stood in the hallway discussing something. And it was quite clear that the 'something' was probably her.

A few seconds later and the doors were opened and a concerned Arthur rushed towards her with Gaius hanging behind near the door. "Gwen how do you feel? Gaius says you 're relatively ok, just weak from the ordeal. How's your head? Still sore?"

Arthur looked at her expectantly, waiting for a reply.

Yes, her head hurt terribly and she had a horrendous headache, but her mind was completely muddled up and she couldn't concentrate enough to form a reply.

Still waiting for an answer Arthur urged: "Gwen...?" She stared at him with a confused expression, too weak to focus.

"Arthur I told you, Gwen has recently woken from a coma, she is exhausted and confused. You need to give her time to rest. Like I said, there is no way to determine the extent of the damage to Gwen's brain, which means she may not be over the worst yet, if she has to deal with too much stress it could be extremely dangerous- and she would be far less likely to survive a second time." Gaius finished.

Arthur looked up in horror, he had almost lost her once and there was no way on earth he was losing her again.

Gaius continued, knowing it was important that he made his instructions clear to Arthur. "She needs rest, make sure she stays in bed for as long as possible. Don't let her over exert herself and giver her this potion three times a day, it will help to regain her strength. I know it will be hard for you both, but soon she will recover." With that Gaius left the room and Arthur noticed that Gwen had drifted off to asleep again, snuggled under the thick, warm duvet.

For the first time in a week she looked peaceful.

Although it was only mid-day Arthur was absolutely shattered. He had watched over her continually since the accident, barely eating or sleeping as she was the only thing he could think about. He could hardly keep his eyes open and decided that he too needed rest if he was going to nurse her. But he was tired of sleeping in the uncomfortable, wooden chair by her bedside. He needed to be close to her, to keep her safe.

Carefully, he climbed onto his bed alongside Gwen and slipped under the covers. He positioned himself around her with his arms gently holding her close. It was strange how their bodies fitted perfectly together, as if they had been made for each other. Arthur smiled at the thought and soon drifted into the best nights sleep he'd since the accident.

###

A knock sounded on the door and Arthur and Gwen's attention went immediately to it. (It was mid-day and Arthur was sat in his usual place at Gwen's bedside, telling her stories from his childhood. Her strength had increased after taking the potion and although she was still weak, she was able to concentrate better.)

Merlin poked his head around the door, looking uneasy. "Are you allowed visitors yet?" He asked nervously.

"Of course Merlin, don't look so worried. I've missed you you know."

Merlin grinned at this and entered the chambers. "I think there's a few more who want to see you" he added and in came Sir Leon and Gwaine.

Gwen smiled and shifted in order to try and sit up. However her efforts made her head spin and she clenched her eyes firmly shut in an attempt to combat the overwhelming dizziness. Arthur noticed her distress instantly and lurched forwards to steady her, propping her up against the pillows. Gwen uttered an affectionate thanks and smiled warmly at him before turning her attention back to the approaching visitors.

Merlin pretended not to notice her frail form and masked his concern with a smile. "Feeling any better?"

"Yes...I suppose. The headaches and nausea comes and goes but Gaius said thats to be expected. At least I haven't lost my memory! That's probably the only side effect I haven't had."

Arthur shifted uneasily, he wasn't so sure that was true. Ever since Gwen had woken up Arthur had been eager to ask her what actually happened before the fall. He knew that she had been attacked and he desperately wanted to hunt down the culprit and make them pay- with their life! But he remembered what Gaius had warned about putting her under too much stress so he tried earnestly to hide the burning anger welling up inside him. Besides, Arthur knew her inside out, and to him the way she was coping with the whole ordeal and the way she spoke about it made it perfectly clear that she didn't remember the whole story.

"Well, promise us you won't go doing that again, you did give us all quite a scare."

Gwen gave a light laugh and Leon added. "Honestly you did, we waited outside your room the other day- wanting to see how you were- but Gaius said you weren't ready for visitors."

"Oh so it was you lot making such a racket in the hall outside." Gwen said smiling.

"Unfortunately so. Like I said, we tried to visit but Gaius said you needed more rest. Gwaine was pretty insistent on the matter and it lead to a small argument."

Gwen looked to Gwaine who was being uncharacteristically quiet. Gwaine worriedly ran his eyes over Gwens injuries: the bandaged wound on her forehead, the swollen split lip, the fading fingerprint bruises on her wrists and the prominent deep purple bruise on her cheek. Exactly the size of a fist- and he should know. His eyes widened at the thought. He was no fool, he knew that there was only one explanation to link all of these injuries. His theory was only supported by the sight of her torn dress. How could someone do that to Gwen?

His eyes locked with Arthurs, whose sea blue eyes confirmed his thoughts but silently begged him to say nothing.

Gwaine looked back to Gwen, a single tear rolling down his face.

"Gwaine...what's wrong..." she asked softly, noticing his distress.

"Oh Gwen."

"Gwaine? What's wrong, you can tell me."

He moved slowly towards her. "Gwen...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...you didn't deserve this."

She reached out and took his hand, holding it tightly. "Don't worry yourself, it was nobody's fault and there was nothing anyone could have done. Please Gwaine, I'll be fine."

Gwen gave him her attempt at a reassuring smile and squeezed his hand.

He nodded and also attempted a smile, but his face was full with confusion.

Maybe she had lost some of her memory afterall...but maybe it was for the best.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Arthur and Merlin were walking towards Arthurs chambers- where Gwen still lay recovering- when they heard it. It was the first time since her accident that Arthur had finally left the room, and it had taken hours and hours of persistent nagging for Merlin to convince him. After all, his father was still away on business out of the kingdom and it was his duty to take charge of Camelot in his absence; that meant attending council meetings, signing treaty's and doing other boring things that came with the responsibility of being the crown prince. He and Merlin were both discussing how pointless the previous meeting had been on a scale of 1 to 10, when they heard it...

A long, strained scream coming from... Arthurs chambers!

"Gwen!" Arthur exclaimed and sprinted towards the room, Merlin following closely behind, both of them wearing immensely concerned expressions. They reached the door and immediately flung it open with such force that a vase on a windowsill on the opposite side of the room smashed to the floor.

Both sets of terrified eyes turned to the small figure on the bed.

Her arms thrashed against the bed, her legs kicking wildly and tangling up in the sheets. Her head turned frantically, side to side, her brown curls smothering her face. But her eyes stayed shut. Asleep.

It looked to Arthur like she was fighting some inner demon, but Merlin knew it was worse: she was remembering...

Arthur raced towards her and instantly tried to calm her. He tried desperately to hold her hand, but her arm was thrashing madly and he couldn't grip it.

"No...please no... stop, please!" she screamed, her eyes still locked shut as she writhed on the bed. "Arrgh don't touch me... stop... get off me you pig... no... stop... ouchhh... get off me!" she yelled in a voice etched with pain.

Merlin knew what she was seeing behind her closed eyelids. He knew she was reliving the torture of her assault and he couldn't bear to watch her go through it- not again.

He grabbed some smelling salts from the bag Gaius had left on the table and briefly held them under Gwen's nose. As she started to cough and her eyes flutter open, Merlin retreated to the end of the bed giving the young couple some space.

Arthur smiled warmly as her eyes opened fully. He was so relieved- both that she was awake and that the torturous screaming had stopped. But, as soon as her eyes had adjusted and she realised how close he was to her, she started to shuffle away from him, the movement made difficult as she was still entangled in the bedsheets.

A frown creased his forehead and his eyebrows knitted in confusion; why was she looking at him with that face? A face full of wariness and fear. He hated to see her look like this, it was surely the dream that had unnerved her and he yearned to comfort her. Arthur reached his arm out towards her, to stroke her cheek as he always did when she was upset.

_All she saw was the hand moving towards her. Closer...closer. A strong, firm hand moving directly towards her face. The same spot where she still felt the burning sensation from a similar incident, where she still felt the deep bruising on her tender skin. She couldn't let that happen again. The memory was too painful. All she saw was the hand... and she just acted instinctively._

With a whimper she flinched and flung her arms protectively around her face. Arthur was confused to say the least. What was going on? He reached forward to gently prise her arms away from her face...

_She felt a large hand tightening around her wrist and she knew what would happen next. She wouldn't let him hurt her... not again. But the feeling of the heavy hand clutching at her arm scared her stiff: she knew he was too strong._

Gwen screamed out and instinctively jumped off the bed and shot away from him. Arthur was so shocked by her outburst that he completely let go of her arm which then hung limply at his side. He saw the fear building in her eyes. She was afraid of him. How could she be afraid of him? His heart shattered at the thought and his face fell.

"Gwen it's me" he croaked whilst taking a slow step towards her.

At his movement, Gwen let out a muffled shriek and clenched her eyes shut tight- as if she was expecting something painful to follow. How could she believe that I would ever hurt her?

"Gwen" he started feebly but Merlin put a firm hand on his shoulder, restricting him from moving any closer.

"This is not the time Arthur" he said quietly, as way of explanation.

Arthur nodded solemnly as he watched Gwen slide down the wall and collapse into a heap on the floor, her arms holding her head. And then- from behind the hands covering her face- she began to cry uncontrollably, her small body hunched into a ball and shaking with the intensity of her sobs.

It felt as if his heart was being wrenched out watching her like this; knowing he was so close but unable to comfort her.

She didn't want him near her. She was afraid of him. She thought he would hurt her.

These thoughts kept running through his head, over and over again... until he couldn't stand it anymore!

He stormed off towards the door, fists clenched and eyes burning with rage. He was so full of anger and he didn't know how to release it. He drove his balled fist straight it the wall dealing it a heavy blow. Pain instantly surged through his arm but he ignored it, continuing to punch the wall.

Blow after blow after blow.

He could hardly feel the pain anymore- only a cold numbness. He felt shut off from the world, trapped in his own bubble of anger.

"STOP IT ARTHUR YOU'RE SCARING HER!"

He stopped suddenly at the sound of Merlin yelling, and took a while to register what he had just shouted. It hit him when he realised that the sobbing had grown a lot louder and more unrestrained. His eyes then diverted to the source of the crying only to realise that Gwen was now completely hysterical: rocking backwards and forwards on the floor, fingernails gripping her knees so hard that she was actually drawing blood.

If Arthurs heart was broken before, now it was obliterated.

Merlin was right...she was scared to death of him. He had done this to her. It was his fault. What kind of monster was he?

He fled the room in a flash.

###

He had already destroyed the study by the time Merlin found him.

Countless scrolls and unused candles littered the floor and the solid oak desk had been completely overturned. There was a gaping hole in the eastern wall which was covered in specks of blood (which Merlin guessed was from the grazes along his knuckles.)

Merlin stood, astounded by the state of the room. He suspected it would be him who had the mammoth task of cleaning his place up, but he stayed silent.

"She hates me Merlin" the Prince yelled in a strained voice.

"Of course she doesn't but..."

"She wouldn't let me near her, how do you explain that. She screamed when I tried to hold her hand Merlin, it killed me seeing her like that."

"You know it's not that simple. Who knows what traumatic things are going through her mind at the moment- probably the same things that were even tormenting her when she was asleep. Besides, she wouldn't let me touch her either. You just need to give her some time Arthur... you can't just give up."

"But you don't understand... IT'S MY FAULT!"

"Don't be such a clot-pole of course it's not..."

"I should have been there to protect her Merlin. I promised I would. Now some bastard has hurt her and who knows how much, AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT! I can't bear it Merlin! Every time I think about it I want to slit his throat so badly but I don't even know who the bastard is. And do you know what the worst thing is? All I want to do is hold her and tell her how sorry I am, keep her safe in my arms untill she's better. But she doesn't want me near her Merlin- AND I DON'T BLAME HER. I don't blame her a single bit, because it's all my fault!"

And then Arthur collapsed into a lump on the floor, tears streaming down his weary face. Everything was out in the open now. His greatest fears had been revealed: he was responsible for Gwen's distraught state.

Merlin watched his friend- just as he had watched Gwen earlier- with a expression of complete surrender.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

It was later that night when a bleary eyed Arthur- followed closely by Merlin- sneaked back in to Arthurs chambers.

She wasn't hard to find.

Lying on her side on the floor with her knees pulled up to her chest; she hadn't moved since earlier. They tiptoed towards her sleeping figure, taking the upmost care not to make a single noise. It was lucky that Arthur had sneaked out of this room so many times when he was younger: it meant he could recreate a route engraved into his memory, skilfully avoiding every single creaky floorboard. Merlin sniggered at him- it looked as if he were performing some bizarre dance.

Arthur crouched silently besides Gwen and gently stroked a stray curl from her face. She looked peaceful, it was a comfort to know that at least tonight she wasn't being tormented by those nightmares again. Carefully he gathered her up in his arms and lifted her up, relishing in the feeling of her being close to him after so long, his arms wrapped around her, her head resting over his heart. The heart which belonged to her alone.

He carried her over to the bed and laid her down softly beneath the covers, tucking her in with a loving smile on his face.

"Arthur...we need to go." Merlin started but Arthur didn't reply, his attention was solely on Gwen.

"Arthur...she might wake up again." This time he noticed the worry in Merlin's voice and he was also anxious about what might happen if Gwen woke up with him so close. He shivered. That was not something either of them wished to experience again.

Arthur placed a lingering kiss on Gwen's forehead before hesitantly exiting the room, glancing back over his shoulder at the sleeping figure on the bed.

How long would this last... the love of his life being so afraid of him that he could only be in her presence when she was asleep.

###

It was still dark when Merlin entered Arthurs chambers early next morning. He was on an errand to fetch some clean clothes for Arthur, and hoped that Gwen would still be asleep if he came before the sun had risen.

He opened the large oak door to find the room spotless. The bed was made, the curtains drawn, the table polished, the floor swept and even

Arthur's filthy armour had been washed and polished. Merlin gazed around the room, amazement evident on his face- he had never seen the room looking so clean. He noticed Gwen standing by the window; she looked presentable having washed and dressed, but at the same time she looked run down, with dark shadows beneath her troubled eyes. Merlin was anxious about approaching her after the incident last night, but she seemed at ease, giving him a warm smile which he returned whilst moving slowly towards her.

"You've been busy. This room has never been this tidy since I started cleaning it," he joked.

"Well, I woke up in the night and... well... I didn't really want to go back to sleep." She looked away, gazing at the view out of the window. "Anyway I figured I owed both of you for everything you've done so I kept myself busy."

"You don't owe us anything, honestly Gwen I mean it."

"But I've been her for over a week now. And I've been in bed the whole time!"

"You were seriously ill Gwen. You needed to recover. Besides do you really think that Arthur would have let you out of his sight while you were in that state."

Gwen looked to the floor sheepishly. "Well, that was sweet of him but I really can't stay here any longer. I don't want to get in the way and I'm tired of being a nuisance."

"You're leaving? But Gaius says you're not fully recovered yet. He says you're brain was damaged and if you put too much strain on yourself... you could die Gwen."

"Well I feel fine. Tell Arthur I'm grateful for his hospitality, but his father will return in a few days and I can't be here when he does."

"But Gwen..."

"Merlin, please. What do you think Uther will do if he finds an injured servant sleeping in his sons bed? What do you think he will do if he finds out that she has been there for a week and a half?"

Merlin was speechless. He didn't know what to say to change her mind. He knew she could be stubborn, and at the minute all his words were catching in his throat.

He remained silent.

She closed the small distance between them and pulled him into a tight hug.  
"Thank-you Merlin. For everything."

###

It felt good to be home. Even though her house was cramped, cold and very basic, it was the place where she had grown up and so many memories were created here: good and bad. Like the times her mother had sung her to sleep or when Elyan had played games with her well into the night. Like the time when her mother had become gravely ill or when Elyan packed his things and ran away.

Gwen was brought out of her thoughts when she heard a crisp, crunching sound from underneath her foot. She bent down to retrieve a crumpled letter from under her foot and began to read it; her eyes growing wider and wider the more she read.

###

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S GONE!" Arthur bellowed as he rounded on Merlin.

"Well she was up this morning when I came in to collect your shirts. She said she was fed up of being a nuisance for everyone and then she just left."

"Merlin she could barely walk across the room yesterday. Why would she leave?" Why would she leave without telling me, he thought inwardly. It felt like she was slipping away from him, and he couldn't quite reach out to her to pull her back.

"All she said was that your father would return soon and she was fed up of getting in the way."

Arthur gave an exasperated sigh, "But she could never get in the way. To be honest, I loved having her here: to be able to care for her, comfort her, talk with her... protect her. I had almost forgotten that my father would return and that things would have to revert back to normal."

Merlin stayed quiet- he was pretty sure that Arthur hadn't intended him to hear that and that he was subconsciously speaking his thoughts aloud.

"I have no doubt that she's planning to go to work today, so I ought to go see her and try to persuade her otherwise. Besides, I need to know that she's ok."

###

She couldn't believe it! It wasn't true- it couldn't be! All of a sudden the implications of the letter hit her and she had to grab hold of the table to steady herself as a wave of dizziness overcame her.

Wait... what was that? A strange murmuring noise seemed to come from outside her door. But it was still so early in the morning. The sun hadn't risen properly yet so it was still dark outside- surely nobody would be about at this time.

But then it was again...

The sound was no more distinctive than before but Gwen sensed that something was right outside her door.

She looked around her house, her eyes searching for a weapon should she need to defend herself, but all she found was the blunt knife she used for chopping vegetables. Nevertheless, she grabbed it knowing it was better than nothing.

Suddenly the door crashed open and in stepped two fierce, burly men. Instinctively, Gwen moved backwards away from them and brandished the knife in front of her. But one of the men reacted instantly and lunged towards her, grabbing her upper arm in a vice like grip. She gathered up all her strength and swung her foot at her attacker, kicking him hard in the shin; but his hold on her didn't loosen. Instead he pushed her up against the table, sending cooking pots smashing to the floor. Somehow in the struggle that followed, Gwen managed to twist her body away from him and with her free hand she sliced the sturdy arm which was holding onto her. With an agonising scream the man let go and Gwen seized her chance to dart away from him. But just as she neared the door, a bulky figure stepped out of the shadows and blocked her path. The corners of his mouth slowly upturned into a savage smile as he saw the startled expression on his face.

She was trapped!

With attackers on either side of her, there was no way she could escape. Feeling the weight of the knife still in her hand, she decided to take a chance. Without hesitating, she aimed the knife at the man in front of her and threw it quickly. The knife imbedded itself deep into his thigh before he had time to dodge it. Letting out a piercing scream, he clutched his leg and fell to the floor. He reached up and grabbed the edge of the table- in an attempt to pull himself up- but his immense weight simply crushed the table and caused him to fall to he floor in a heap once more.

Suddenly Gwen felt a piece of material being forced over her mouth and nose, and everything started to feel fuzzy. She had been too preoccupied with the man blocking to doorway to notice the other man creeping up behind her. Slowly the room around her began to dissolve and she drifted into unconsciousness.

Her bloody knife dropping to the floor with a clatter.

###

Arthur and Merlin were walking leisurely towards Gwen's small house. She had told Merlin that she was moving out of the castle because she was fed up of getting in the way and Arthur was insistent on checking up on her. Merlin too was worried about her welfare- after all it had only been a few days since she had woken from a coma and Gaius had made it very clear that she would need a long recovery.

As they approached the house Merlin sensed that something was amiss. The door was hanging wide open and he highly doubted that Gwen (being the tidy and careful person that she was) had left it like that.

His suspicions were soon confirmed as they drew closer and it became obvious to both Arthur and Merlin that the lock on the door had been forced open.

Arthur froze and silently lifted a finger up to his lips- signalling Merlin to be quiet- while his other hand rested on the hilt of his sword. Merlin nodded. Arthur then jerked his head towards the door and lifted up 3 fingers to Merlin.

3...2...1...

Simultaneously they both burst into the small house, sword raised and spells at the ready. But neither of them were prepared for what they saw.

Smashed pots and bits of debris littered the floor and Gwen's former table was broken into pieces in the corner of the room. Patches of scarlet liquid glistened on the floor with a blunt kitchen knife covered in blood resting nearby. A small scrap of blue material laid amongst the carnage.

Sword still drawn, Arthur bent down to retrieve the rough square of material. He'd already guessed what it was and what it had done, but nevertheless he inhaled the fabric and tested his theory. Sure enough... knock out gas.

"No, it can't be. This isn't happening!" he said in a panicked voice. It was obvious by the mess surrounding him that she had been attacked and put up a struggle. Smashed pots, broken table, knife... his mind was plagued with terrifying scenes and he started to hyperventilate.

"Gwen... Gwen... where are you. Gwen?" he cried out earnestly. "There's blood Merlin. Look at all the blood! What if she's hurt? I promised I'd protect her. Merlin I promised!"

Merlin was rooted to the spot, gripping tightly onto a crumpled piece of paper. He was completely absorbed, his eyes wide with shock as he devoured the contents of the letter.

"Arthur... you should read this." he choked.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_Dear Guinevere,_  
_As I'm sure you're aware, when your father died the welfare of you and your brother became my responsibility, as I am your only living relative. Therefore it is my duty as your legal guardian to inform you of the recent arrangements that have been made. __Earlier this week I was visited by a man who seemed very interested in your situation. He is well educated, well mannered and certainly very wealthy. This opportunity would change everything for both of us, so it cannot be passed by._ _I had to swear not to tell you of this arrangement before it was official, but I knew that you would want to be informed about this exciting news and I couldn't keep it to myself any longer! Your marriage to this man will take place at the end of the week._  
_Take care,  
__John_

Arthur was sat on the edge of his bed, reading the letter for the fith time. Each time he re-read it, it started to feel a little more real. He had spent the whole day in his room; trying to understand the situation and trying to think of ways to rescue his true love. But no matter how hard he tried, he was always confronted by an agonising fear...

Guinevere was gone and she wasn't coming back. He would never see her again.

The future he dreamt of sharing with her would be shared with another man. The thought made him sick to his stomach. He knew that he needed to find her quickly- before it was too late- or he would have no authority to bring her back to Camelot. She would belong to another man.

This time he couldn't control the wave of nausea that built up in his stomach. He keeled over and vomited all over the newly washed floorboards.

###

Arthur had managed to clean himself up by the time a knock at the door sounded. Sir Leon opened it slightly and popped his head around the door.

"Sire, the king has just arrived in and requests your presence at dinner."

Arthur replied with a sigh, "Yes of course, thank you Leon."

Leon nodded and left the room, followed shortly after by a weary Arthur.

###

"So Arthur, I hear that King Niryal's visit was fruitful?"

Arthur swallowed his mouthful and let his fork clatter onto his plate.

"Not particularly father. Unfortunately the treaty could not be signed as the King left Camelot unannounced. I can only think that he received news of an urgent matter that needed attending. I am sorry to have disappointed you father."

"On the contrary Arthur. I received a message from King Niryal upon my return in which he apologised for his absence. He seemed convinced that the peace treaty was a good decision and has consequently invited Camelot and some of the other kingdoms to stay with him in Bernia and witness an important announcement. We leave the morning after tomorrow and King Niryal has requested that we stay there for two nights along with the other kings, I presume it's to give us time to form a new treaty between the various kingdoms. I'm proud of you Arthur, you did well."

Arthur smiled faintly at the rare praise from his father. He brain was trying to absorb the new information he had just been given, but there was only one thought running through his head: he only had one day to find Gwen before they departed for Bernia.

He was soon woken from his thoughts as Uther reached over and shook his shoulder.

"Arthur are you alright? You seem very distant tonight."

"Oh... I... err... I just feel a little unwell, that's all."

"Ahhh of course, I was informed by one of the knights of your sickness last week. Perhaps you should have an early night."

Arthur nodded in reply, stood up from his chair and started to walk towards the large, oak doors at the back of the room.

"Oh and Arthur," Uther called and Arthur turned around to face him, "I will relieve you of your duties tomorrow so that you can take the day to rest. You deserve a day off after your hard work while I was away."

"Thank you father."

###

"Arthur... you're up!" Merlin exclaimed as he entered Arthur's chambers the next morning. He had expected to have to wrench open the curtains and literally drag him out of bed (as he did every morning) and was extremely surprised to find him up, dressed and sitting at the table surrounded by various documents.

"Don't sound quite so surprised Merlin, I can get myself ready without your '_help_'."

"Well you could have fooled me." Merlin added with a smirk. "What are you doing anyway."

"Trying to track down the person who sent Guinevere that letter; this 'John' must have more information about her abductor."

"Oh, so what's with all the paper?"

"These are the records of every person living in Camelot, and so far there seems to be three hundred and sixty four people going by the name of John."

"And where exactly did all these documents come from?"

"Borrowed from my best buddy- Geoffrey of Monouth. Well I say borrowed, he wasn't there so I kind of just took them."

"Oooh stealing documents from a librarian, you really are a rebel." Merlin said with a cheeky grin.

Arthur smiled briefly. Merlin always seemed to cheer him up when his world seemed like it had been torn apart.

"Well I'll ask everyone in the kitchen if they know anything about a John. One of Gwens friends will know if she's mentioned anything." Merlin offered. Then his attention was drawn to a meter long list of names scrawled in messy handwriting.

"Gosh it must've taken all night to search through all these papers so that you could make a list of all the different Johns who live in Camelot." Merlin exclaimed looking at the list that Arthur had written.

"Couldn't sleep." Arthur stated solemnly.

###

Merlin rushed into Arthur's room later that day with new found enthusiasm.

"I've found him! I've found him! I actually found him!"

Arthur's head perked up instantly and his eyes were lit with hope and eagerness at what Merlin had just discovered.

Merlin continued breathlessly, "One of Gwen's friends told me that the only relatives she had were her brother and a uncle who lived on the outskirts of Camelot. She said that Gwen very rarely mentioned him and certainly never visited him, but she recalled that his sirname might be Brookfield."

"YES THAT'S HIM!" Arthur exclaimed; jumping up from his chair to search through the pile of documents. After shuffling through them for a few moments he grabbed one and began reading from it. "Here he is. John Brookfield: lives alone in a small village on the outskirts of Camelot, aged fifty eight, works as a farmer, unmmarried... blah blah blah... only sibling was a brother named Tom who worked as a blacksmith. It's him alright."

Arthur ran to the door, poked his head around it and checked the the corridors for guards. Satisfied that there was nobody around, Arthur turned back to face Merlin.

"Time to pay him a little visit."

###

Arthur and Merlin travelled through the busy streets of Camelot and further west to a small outlying village. Merlin had convinced Arthur to disguise himself as a common peasant, which meant the four hour journey had to be taken on foot; however it had enabled them to travel undisturbed and without any risk of attack.

When they finally reached the village, they were directed to a small farm house on the edge of a stream.

Arthur lifted up his hand and promptly knocked on the door, which was then opened slightly to reveal the face of an ageing man.

"Clear off," grunted the man as he saw their faces through the open gap. "I don't like unwelcome visitors."

"John Brookfield? Am I right, you are John Brookfield are you not?" asked Arthur in an authoritative tone.

"How do you know my name? And who are you anyway?"

"We are friends of Gwen and we are here to ask you a few questions." Merlin replied roughly.

"Ahhh yes, my niece Gwen. I suppose you should come in then, but don't make yourself too welcome- you can't stay long." He opened the door wider and moved further into the small house.

Merlin turned to Arthur and raised his eyebrows, to which Arthur pulled a grim expression.

John sat down on a worn, wooden stool at the table, but both Merlin and Arthur remained standing. Arthur had mentally decided that there was no need for the usual politeness as all he needed was straight answers, so he dived into the interrogation.

"I'm not sure if you're aware, but your niece Guinevere disappeared yesterday, the exact time we are not sure. It seems she has been abducted and seeing as you were the last person to have contacted her you must know something about it."

"What? Abducted, surely not." But then the man seemed to realise something and his face fell. "But wait... She's to be married at the end of the week. And if there's no wedding what will happen then!"

Arthur froze at the mention of the wedding. He had tried so hard to wipe it from his mind and focus on the task ahead. He tried to speak but his voice failed him. Merlin noticed his friends difficulty and stepped in.

"In the letter you wrote to Gwen you spoke about a man who wished to marry her. Who was he?" Merlin questioned.

"A noble man: well educated and extremely wealthy. At first I was opposed to the idea but... things changed. It is a perfect match for us both. I did wonder why a man with such wealth would want a serving girl but who's to argue."

"And what was his name?" Merlin asked in an exasperated tone.

"Ha, I don't know. He didn't mention it." he answered casually.

Merlin almost laughed. "And you expect me to believe that you didn't ask. That you weren't at all curious."

"Of course his was curious..." Arthur said disgustedly, "but he was paid not to ask questions," he spat as he retrieved a heavy bag of coins that were tucked away behind a jar on the shelf.

Then slowly, he drew another (significantly larger) bag of coins from behind it and held it out to Merlin. Merlin scoffed. He had only ever seen bags of money like this in the vaults beneath Camelot.

"What else did he pay you for?" asked Arthur, motioning to the second bag of coins, his voice wavering as he tried to contain his anger.

"I don't know what you mean," John trembled.

"ANSWER ME NOW! And I swear if you lie to me I will run you through right where you stand!" Arthur yelled furiously.

The man paused for a moment, considering whether or not he could make up a believable lie. He looked at Arthur's blue eyes, burning with rage and he wondered if he could risk it.

"He wanted permission to marry." he stuttered.

"I warned you," growled Arthur. "You honestly think I'd believe that you would be given this amount of money for a few words of agreement."

"No... no... legal permission. He needed signed documents from her legal guardian or else the whole marriage would not be legitimate. And he also wanted her birth certificate- but I'm not sure why."

Arthur stepped back away from him, his face scrunched up with revulsion. His fists clenched tightly, his eyes narrowed with fury.

"You disgust me!" he spat. "You sold your niece like a slave to a strange man. You traded her life and happiness for some stupid gold coins, IT'S SICK! You sold my Guinevere! You make me feel sick you repulsive little worm." Arthur roared at the top of his voice as all his anger came flooding out.

"It wasn't like that."

Merlin wanted to punch the pathetic little man. Instead he too shouted right in his face:

"THEN WHAT WAS IT LIKE? You yourself said that 'you were opposed to the idea at first but then things changed.' You mean you were offered some coins and suddenly you didn't give a shit about what happened to her. As long as you got your money nothing else mattered!" he shouted furiously. "You were her guardian, her uncle- you were supposed to take care of her."

"And I did." John replied with a glare. "I gave her the opportunity to live a comfortable and wealthy life with a noble husband. What's wrong with that?"

At his words Arthur reached breaking point and swung his clenched fist straight into the mans face. Blood erupted from a resulting gash in his cheek and a couple of teeth went flying.

Merlin dragged Arthur out of the house quickly before any of the villagers came to see the cause of the commotion.

* * *

**I just want to say a big thank-you to everyone who has commented or followed the story. This is my first fanfic and I write the whole thing on my iPod when I have to catch the bus on my own. It means so much to read all your comments so if you haven't commented before, please do and tell me what you think. It's greatly appreciated :D**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It was the morning after and Arthur knew that soon he would be required to make the journey to Bernia along with the king and a group of knights.

Arthur stood by the window, watching the sun rise and dreading the moment when it would be high in the sky and he would have to ride away from Camelot. This was because he knew that when he returned Gwen (wherever she was) would either have been killed by her abductors or have escaped and been married to another man.

Either way, Arthur would lose.

He hadn't slept all night. His mind was working overtime, trying to figure out where Gwen could be. The visit to her uncle had been completely useless. All they found out was that her uncle was a disgusting worm who had sold Gwen to a unknown man who wanted to marry her. They also discovered that he was also paid a generous amount for giving the man his legal permission to marry and Gwen's birth certificate- which seemed very strange. Apart from these small details, they learnt nothing about the identity of her abductor or the reason behind it.

The abductor could be one of four people:  
1) Someone who knew about the upcoming wedding and wanted Gwen himself so stole her.  
2) The person Gwen was betrothed to.  
3) The person who attacked Gwen in the palace.  
4) Someone who was using Gwen for either a trap or revenge, and is completely unrelated to the both the attack and the wedding.

All four seemed likely yet there were obvious floors in all of them. Nobody knew about the arranged marriage and Gwen could only have read the letter soon before she was abducted, therefore she wouldn't have had time to tell anyone. Also, if the abductor was the person Gwen was going to marry why would he abduct her a few days before the wedding- unless he guessed she would try to run away. Then again, If the abductor was the person who attacked Gwen wouldn't he think that she had told of his identity so surely he wouldn't turn up and risk being caught. And finally, wouldn't it be too much of a coincidence if the two things were totally unrelated?

A knock at the door shocked him out of his thoughts. Merlin entered and Arthur noticed that his eyes were slightly red and puffy just like his own.

"Sorry to come in earlier than normal." Merlin apologised in a small voice. "It's just that I couldn't sleep and I guessed that you would be awake too. I can go if you want. "

"No, stay. I don't think I can bear the loneliness or the silence anymore."

Merlin crossed the room towards the window where Arthur stood. They both looked a mess: red rimmed eyes, dishevelled hair and pale faces.

Merlin opened his mouth to speak but promptly shut it again, thinking that this was not the time for unproven accusations.

Instead, Arthur decided to speak, his voice hoarse and shaky. "You know Merlin, wherever she was or whatever danger she was in, I'd do anything to save her. whatever it takes- I'd do it in a flash. But I haven't a clue where she is and I don't know what I need to do. Hell, it's tearing me apart!" He scrunched his eyes up tight to stop the inevitable tears from falling.  
"I've been thinking about who it is that shes intended to... m... marry. We know he's wealthy (extremely wealthy by the amount of money in those bags) so he can't be a servant. Also, he refused to give his name to Guinevere's toad of an uncle, which means he has to be someone we would recognise by name. But, to be honest I have no clue whatsoever!" he sighed. "I don't no how much longer I can go on like this Merlin. There are now three people that I want to kill but I don't know the identity of any of them. Her attacker, her betrothed and her abductor!"

Seeing his friend look so defeated Merlin decided that he couldn't keep it to himself anymore. He didn't want to say anything until he had proof, but it looked as if he didn't have a choice anymore.

"Arthur" he started slowly, "I didn't tell you before because I knew you wouldn't believe me but, when Gwen was attacked I heard screams and I saw her run from the direction of King Niryal's quarters. I think that Gwen was probably serving his evening meal at the time."

"Merlin why are you telling me this? You don't possibly think that it was King Niryal that attacked Gwen."

One look from Merlin confirmed his thoughts.

"Don't be ridiculous! What reason would Niryal have to assault Gwen? Besides, he had already left Camelot by the time we found Gwen and his meal was left uneaten on the table, so he must have left in the early evening."

"But Arthur listen..."

"You said you saw Guinevere running from the direction of his chambers- not actually from his chambers- so maybe she ran from the kitchens."

"But he was up to something. I saw him sneaking around the castle and he had stolen keys to these secret compartments."

"Enough Merlin. Niryal came to Camelot to sign a peace treaty so why would he jeopardise that. And if you're about to tell me that he didn't care about the treaty then why would he invite us to Bernia to sign it?"

"I know it was him Arthur. You have to believe me."

"Merlin these are very serious allegations and you know you would be executed for making such accusations against a King should he find out. I know you're desperate to find the culprit- as am I- but making wild accusations won't help!"

Merlin stayed silent. He had expected Arthur to be doubtful but he wasn't expecting his reaction to be so ignorant. He knew that Niryal was responsible for the attack (somehow he just did) and he needed to find a way to convince Arthur of this before they arrived in Bernia. That way, Arthur would be able to subtly question Niryal on the matter and deal with the scumbag as he wished.

###

The knights of Camelot gathered in the courtyard in front of the palace. The sky was clear, the air was refreshing and everyone seemed in high spirits about making the journey to a kingdom which they had never visited. Everyone except Arthur, Merlin and Gwaine. All three of them had been worrying about Gwen constantly and had all struggled to sleep at night, as their minds were filled with dread.

Soon Uther paraded down the palace steps and gave the order for the knights to mount their horses. Arthur did so reluctantly and fell into place beside Leon at the front of the patrol.

The group travelled in an uncomfortable silence for the first part of the journey. The combined absence of Gwaine's mindless chatter and the banter between Merlin and Arthur, and also the added presence of the king made the ride seem eerie.

###

At mid day the men stopped for an hours rest to relieve the horses and to allow themselves some time to eat. Merlin set about collecting water containers from several of the knights and then carried them a short distance through the trees towards the river to refill them.

Arthur let out a small grunt of annoyance and hid eyes searched the trees around him.

"Has Merlin already left to replenish the water supplies?" He asked nobody in particular.

"Yes sire he did, about five minutes ago." Leon replied from beside his horse.

Arthur let out an exasperated sigh and started to march in the direction of the river, clutching his empty water container and cursing under his breath.

Through the trees Merlin could be seen crouched down by the very edge of the stream, back towards Arthur, dipping empty containers into the water one by one.

Without thinking, Arthur strode silently towards him and gave him a firm push on his upper back. Merlin toppled headfirst into the water with an enormous splash.

Splashing around in the icy water whilst trying to find his footing, Merlin looked truly pitiful. He shuddered and dragged himself out of the river, shivering from the freezing water he had just been plunged into. His clothes were sodden and clung to his skin and his dark hair was plastered to his face, continually dripping water into his eyes.

"What was t... that for!" he shuddered in an annoyed but controlled voice.

"Forgot something did you?" Arthur asked sarcastically, holding up the empty water container for him to see.

"WAS THAT IT! Honestly you p... pushed me into a f... fr... freezing river just f... for forgetting to fill your stupid w... w... water. Sometime you c... can be a real royal... ARSE!"

"Careful Merlin, this is the crown prince you are talking to. I could get you thrown in prison for such abuse." he continued in the same sarcastic voice.

But Merlin was cold, wet and very irritated. This wasn't the time for jokes.

"Oh and you royals all stick together don't you, you won't hear a bad word against each other. You never do anything wrong do you? You treat us servants like dirt and it means nothing; throw candles at them, push them in rivers, assault them it, doesn't matter to you royals..."

"Enough Merlin..."

"No matter how much they SUFFER at the hands of a royal, nothing is ever done to punish the guilty..."

"Merlin stop..."

"He caused her so much pain and you won't even believe a loyal friend over a royal stranger. Arthur he needs to be punished, he attempted to rape..."

"I SAID ENOUGH MERLIN!"

Merlin froze mid sentence. He looked up to see Arthur's face not filled with anger but with tremendous grief. His blue eyes were brimming with tears as he clenched tufts of blonde hair in his fists.

He looked like a broken man.

Merlin instantly knew that it was his- not quite so indirect- references to Gwen's assault which had caused this reaction.

He tried to think of something he could say which would console him, or at least give him a small piece of comfort; but he knew that there was nothing he could say that would make the slightest difference.

Merlin stepped towards Arthur slightly- trying to let him know that he was there for him- but Arthur just turned abruptly and stormed off towards the horses.

Merlin was left standing there: drenched and alone.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 

Arthur was riding alone, in front of the group. The knights had noticed the familiar signs that he wished to be left alone, so they did just that.

But Merlin wasn't a knight.

Galloping towards Arthur, he then settled his horse into a steady rhythm so that he could ride alongside him.

"I'm sorry about what I said. It wasn't fair and it wasn't tactful."

Arthur kept his eyes on the path ahead and replied without even glancing in Merlin's direction:

"And I'm sorry for pushing you in the river. It wasn't deserved. You have been a true friend lately, and I want you to know that I appreciate it."

"Apology accepted." Merlin said simply. He knew that Arthur had more to say, but that he was always reluctant about expressing his feelings.

"Merlin?" Arthur said quietly, eyes still focoused ahead. "About what you said earlier. About Niryal. I still think it's ridiculous but I know you wouldn't lie to me, so what do we do now?"

"We continue on to Bernia and when we get there we interrogate him. Get him drunk or put something in his drink or..."

"Hold a sword to his neck!" Arthur interrupted.

"... erm, yeah. And we ask him the obvious questions and find out whether or not he is guilty. Just make sure you don't do anything stupid or we could be facing a war." Merlin said with a grimace.

"I never thought a treaty for '_Peace_' would lead to this. It seems like something out of a nightmare. I just miss her so much Merlin. It feels like there's this enormous hole in my heart, and that she's the only thing that can fill. And if she's been hurt Merlin: arrrgh I can't bear thinking about it!"

"We WILL find her Arthur. Trust me, we will. Whatever it takes we'll find her!"

"Whatever it takes!" Arthur repeated solemnly.

###

Eventually, the knights of Camelot and their King reached the gates of King Niryal's land.

They rode into the large coutyard and swiftly dismounted from their horses, and it was there that they noticed a group of delicately crafted carriages, intricately engraved and parked in a neat row. They seemed very feminine and out of place amongst the countless horses that littered the courtyard.

Then, as a familiar figure stepped out of one of the carriages, everything made sense.

"Princess Elena, I didn't realise you and your father were attending the announcement aswell." Uther said with a smile as he went to greet them. "I'm delighted at the prospect of signing a treaty between our three kingdoms."

Lord Godwyn returned the smile but looked slightly confused. "What do you mean treaty? I received a letter inviting me here but it never specified the reason."

"No, neither did my letter but I presumed that the intention was to form a new treaty. Afterall, why else would we be invited to a unknown kingdom?"

"Perhaps your right," Lord Godwyn agreed, "But let's not stand here in the cold all day."

He signalled to a nearby gaurd from Bernia who bowed and promptly led them into the palace.

The first thing that Arthur noticed was how heavily guarded everywhere was- especially all the doorways. He guessed that the excessive amount of guards was simply to show off how much of a powerful army Niryal had. Either way, it still seemed a bit strange.

When they reached the end of a long corridor, they were led through a large oak door and into the banquet hall.

It was exquisite!

Long, wooden tables formed a square around the edge of the room and in the centre was a band of musicians performing a cheerful tune. The tables were laid with a feast of roast pork, meat pie, goose, vegetables and various exotic fruits. Brightly coloured streamers hung from the ceiling and draped down the walls, giving the room a festive atmosphere.

Seated at the long tables were an assortment of finely dressed people chattering and waiting eagerly for the feast to begin. Amongst them sat Kings from foreign lands, knights and Lords (who were considered to be of high standing or influential to their sovereign).

Uther sat with Lord Godwyn and the other kings at the head table, which left Arthur and the Camelot knights sat at one of the half empty tables.

Soon after, King Niryal stood up from the head table and declared in a powerful voice:

"Let the feast BEGIN!"

* * *

**Sorry its quite a short chapter but I needed it to build up to the next one. Chapter 12 should be loaded wednesday/ thursday. Thanks for reading and please review if you can x**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

After a while of devouring tender meats, rich cheeses and colourful fruits, the feast slowly dragged to a halt as the guests became satisfied.

Niryal took the silence as a chance to make his well awaited announcement.

Standing up from he head table he cleared his throat loudly and began his speech in a strong voice, booming confidently across the grand hall.

"And now, as you know I have invited you all to this kingdom to witness and important announcement and I'm sure you're all eager to find out what it is. It gives me great pleasure to inform you all that in two nights time I shall be marrying and you have all been invited here to witness it."

Arthur's head dropped to his empty plate and his eyes suddenly found a piece of uneaten food really intriguing.

_What the hell is going on? There obviously isn't going to be a peace treaty so this journey has been totally pointless. I knew I didn't like him the minute I saw him. Well at least I can still question him about... _

Arthur was shook out of his thoughts at the sound of a resounding crash which had erupted behind him. He turned his head to see Merlin standing- frozen to the spot, staring ahead- with his wine jug lying on the floor beside his feet.

This wasn't like Merlin: usually he would be crawling around on the floor, frantically trying to clean up his mess. Something must be wrong!

Cautiously, Arthur turned his head in the direction of where Merlin was staring.

"And now let me present, Princess Sophia." Niryal continued as he took a young woman by the hand and led her from a shadowed doorway to the head table; displaying her like a trophy in front of all his visitors.

The young girl curtseyed elegantly to the room of people, her smile and composure hiding the sadness and fear that coursed through her veins. She was dressed in a expensive gown which hung delicately on her curves. It was made from midnight blue silk and was decorated hundreds with silvery gems which shimmered in the light. Her hair hung in loose curls over one shoulder and she looked simply stunning.

Arthur was staring- mouth hanging open in disbelief- at the scene in front of him.

"Gwen?" Gwaine muttered in disbelief from beside Arthur.

Arthur was too shocked to function properly. It felt as if he had been winded and all the breath knocked out of him.

Gwen instinctively scanned the crowd for any familiar red cloaks; she wasn't sure if they had been invited, but she searched for them nonetheless. A part of her wished that they wouldn't be there, so she wouldn't have to see their despaired expressions or have to explain her tragic story. But most of all because she knew they would be full of hope and plans for her escape, when it was obvious that there was no way out of this, and she wouldn't allow them to raise her hopes as it would only make the fall all the more painful. Yet another part of her simply yearned to have some company during these difficult times, to have her friend around her while she had the chance. Besides, it would probably be the last time they would all meet.

After what seemed like years, she sought him out in the crowd and their eyes met. She hesitated as she noticed a young, blonde haired man looking astounded and heartbroken. She wanted to give him a reassuring smile, to somehow let him know that everything would be fine, but she couldn't let herself believe it. She knew that this time there was no way out.

They stayed motionless- their eyes still locked on one another- until Gwen coughed and addressed the audience in a false, over polite voice.

"Please excuse me, I have errr... a matter that needs my attention."

Only the few that were still engrossed in Gwen's sudden appearance noticed what happened next. How, as Gwen made to leave, Niryal gripped her wrist tightly behind her back, preventing her from moving an inch away from him.

Putting on another false smile, she faced the guests and declared loudly:

"Enjoy the feast, I will return shortly."

She then managed to yank her wrist from Niryal's grasp and rush out of the hall.

Arthurs brow furrowed in anger as he saw this and as he started to raise from the table in protest, a firm hand rested on his shoulder, pushing him down.

He turned sideways to see Gwaine shaking his head.

"I know you're angry but now is not the time, not in front of all these people." He said concerned, and the added in an uncharacteristically solemn voice. "God knows I'm relieved to see her, but I can't quite work out if things have got better or worse."

"What do you mean?" asked Arthur, his voice shaky with a mixture of confusion and anger.

"Well, it's not over yet is it. I mean, I'm so happy that we've found her and that we know that she's safe, but... well, it seems almost impossible. Now that we know where she is, the implications seem a lot more real. She's betrothed to a king, a powerful one at that, and we're just a prince, commoner knight and a servant: what can we possibly do?"

Sharply, Arthur stood up from the table and stormed out of the great hall without a word.

###

Arthur strode along corridor after corridor. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew that he needed to be away from everyone. He needed to be alone and have some space to think. After-all, a lot had happened in the last fifteen minutes and it hadn't fully sunk in until Gwaine had expressed his blunt opinion.

So he just just walked aimlessly along the labyrinth of endless passages, winding like snakes throughout the castle.

Then all of a sudden his heart started to pound. It beat so loudly and so fast that he thought it might explode inside his chest.

For at the end of the corridor stood the love of his life!

Immediately he sprinted towards her and she rushed towards him, straight into his open arms. They stood, swaying on the spot, wrapped in each others arms- both unwilling to let go. Arthur with his head buried into the crook of Gwen's neck, breathing in the calming scent of her hair and Gwen with her head simply resting on Arthur's shoulder.

He felt so overwhelmed to have her in his arms again after so long. For a while it seemed as though this time would never come. Gwen relaxed automatically with the weight of arms wrapped protectively around her. And for the first time since her abduction... she felt safe.

"I've missed you so much Guinevere, so much." he mumbled into her hair. "I just couldn't stop worrying about you, I was so scared that something would..."

"Shhhh now." Gwen soothed whilst rubbing his arm gently. "I'm just so sorry, all of this is my fault!"

"How can you say that? Of course it isn't." Arthur said softly, still clinging onto her tightly.

"But I should have just told you who it was that tried to... well I should have just told you it was Niryal. But I couldn't bear thinking about it and I knew a servants word would mean nothing against a king."

"No Guinevere, trust me it..." he stopped abruptly at the growing sound of footsteps marching nearer and nearer towards them.

"Quick! There's too many guards here." Gwen said as she peeled Arthurs arms from around her. She clasped his hand in her own and dragged him along with her as she started to run.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Gwen pulled Arthur into a small, decrepit room which had on obviously been abandoned quite a while ago. Cobwebs hung from the mouldy ceiling and every surface was covered in a thick layer of dust and grime.

"Don't worry," Gwen said confidently "Nobody ever comes in here."

"I wonder why." Muttered Arthur.

"Oh, I think it is to do with some stupid ghost story; apparently this room is haunted or something of the sort."

"I was being sarcastic." Arthur said with a cheeky grin.

"Oh, of course." Gwen's face lit up with a genuine smile as she realised the stupidity of her comment.

Arthurs grin grew even wider at seeing Gwen's face. He wondered if it was the first time she had smiled properly since over two weeks ago when she was attacked.

"Guinevere, I need to ask you something." he began nervously, his smile quickly fading. "These last few days have been hell for me, endlessly thinking about all the possibilities, and I know you don't want to talk about it but I need to know. Has he... has he erm... _hurt_ you? You can tell me, has he..."

Gwen's head dropped suddenly and her eyes focoused on the floor as she spoke.

"He tried to... you know, but I put up a fight. Everytime he came near me I fought him, kicked and screamed. He didn't manage to... _hurt_ me in that way... but he left his marks."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked, his voice heavy with worry.

Gwen kept her eyes on the floor as she slowly pushed up the sleeves of her dress, revealing dark purple bruises encircling her delicate wrists. Above them were deep red scratches, dripping with crimson blood, where someone had clearly dragged their nails through her skin.

Arthur gasped and ran his hand through his hair roughly.

"I'm so sorry." he said to Gwen, who was still avoiding his gaze. "I should have protected you. I should have stopped this."

"There was nothing you could have done." Gwen said simply, her eyes still cast downwards. It was as if she was too ashamed to look at him.

Arthur reached towards her and cupped her cheek lightly in his hand, slowly tilting her face upwards until their eyes met.

"Your strength and courage still amazes me Guinevere. I know that even some of my best knights would not be half as brave if put in your situation."

He then leaned forwards and planted a tender kiss on her forehead, his lips lingering on her smooth skin for a few moments, relishing in the feeling of warmth that sent a tingling sensation through his body.

Then, he tilted his head sideways and whispered into her ear.

"I love you Guinevere and I promise, whatever it takes, I'll get you out of here."

###

"And where were you all night?" Merlin asked in a raised voice as Arthur strolled into the guest chambers early the next morning. "Please tell me you didn't do anything stupid."

"I didn't."

"Really? Because you were furious when you stormed out of the feast last night. Please tell me you didn't attack Niryal or anything."

"I didn't, honest. I was with Gwen."

Merlin's eyes flew open.

"Oh," he said in a nervous voice, "how is she?"

"Putting on a brave face as usual, but being here... with him... it's eating away at her Merlin, it's as if shes dying inside."

"Which is why we've got to get her back to Camelot. We need to come up with a plan, but first we need to find out the full story."

"Well that's going to be hard. Niryal has her guarded at all times and besides, she completely shut me out last night. All of a sudden she became so scared and barely said a word."

"Well, I never said it was going to be easy." Merlin said in a solemn tone.

###

"And where were you all night?" Niryal asked in a authoritative voice. "The guards informed me that you only entered your chambers early this morning."

Gwen was sat opposite him on a large table in the dining hall. She had been ordered to join him for breakfast and the guards posted outside her room had frog marched her here when she had refused. Now they were sitting, a few meters between them, as he stuffed food greedily down his throat and she refused to touch a thing on her plate.

"I went for a walk."

"What for the whole night? Don't take me for a fool, girl. You know what happens when you lie to me, and we wouldn't want to ruin your pretty little face for the wedding tomorrow, would we?" he asked with a snide.

Gwen's eyes narrowed at his words and her brain worked overtime in those few seconds as she struggled to come up with a convincing lie.

"Well... I... errr... went to visit a friend." she stammered cautiously.

"What friend?" he demanded.

"A servant from Camelot. I knew you'd disapprove but I needed to explain the situation to him- he was awfully shocked at the announcement."

"Oh, then I take it you mean the clumsy oaf who dropped the wine jug when you were introduced. Made a terrible racket it did. And you're right, I do disapprove, you're a princess now so you better start acting like one!"

Gwen glared at him with cold eyes. She refused to let him talk to he like this; as if he owned her.

He stared back at her with eyes just as cold.

"Eat your breakfast. I know you are probably used to eating scraps and other servant filth- but that is no excuse." he ordered her like a owner commanding a slave.

Gwen folded her arms in rebellion and continued to silently glare at him. He would never control her and she would never bend to his demands.

"How dare you defy me. That was an order." he barked in a deadly voice.

"I would rather starve than dine with you."

"Then you will do so. I think it is time you are taught a lesson."

###

Niryal was eager to show off his great kingdom to all the visiting kings, so he had planned an expansive horse ride through the lands. He, Uther, Godwyn, Odin and several other kings were now gathered in the courtyard outside the castle, all of them preparing their horses for the ride.

Once the horses were saddled and the riders mounted the kings waited for Niryal's command to set off- but it never came.

He was sat upon his horse, his eyes agitatedly searching around him for something. Whatever he was waiting for nobody knew, but it was clear to everyone that he was becoming more and more impatient by the second.

A minute later, they heard the sound of footsteps hurrying down the castle steps and everyone looked behind to see who it was.

"I'm so sorry to keep you all waiting, but I'm afraid I am sickening with a illness and will have to decline the invitation to join you in your ride. Please accept my apology." Gwen gushed politely as she reached the bottom of the steps. Truth be told she did look terrible, but that wasn't due to a sickness.

"Oh and I suppose you think you can disregard your duties just like that, do you? We have guests and I have already promised them of your presence. Do you really want to defy me for a second time today?"

Gwen flinched.

"Forgive me gentlemen but I do not have my horse ready and I have wasted enough of your time already." Gwen mumbled feebly.

"No matter, you may ride with me." Niryal said with a suggestive leer.

"But I'm afraid my sickness would only worsen on the ride and I would hate to miss the feast tonight."

"I assure you, your health will be fine. Now get on this horse before I lose my patience with you."

Gwen glanced at all the men. It was clear in her fearful expression that she would do anything than ride in such close proximity with Niryal all day.

"Your highness," Lord Godwyn said to Niryal. "She does look rather pale and unwell. Perhaps it would be best if she were to spend the day in bed, lest this sickness be cause for alarm."

Gwen flashed Godwyn a grateful smile which he then returned kindly.

"As you wish." Niryal grunted. "We will return shortly before the feast."

And with that they set off for their ride, Gwen stood on the castle steps watching them go with eyes filled with relief.

As soon as they were out of sight Gwen raced back up the stone steps- being carefully not to be seen- and raced back to her sleeping quarters. There she grabbed a long, black cloak and quickly put it on, pulling the hood over her head.

Sneaking out of the castle unnoticed through various unused passages, she made her way into the busy Market. As it was around mid-day the place was heaving with noisy traders shouting their wares and bustling villagers admiring the stalls.

There were so many people it was easy to blend in with them and continue unrecognised.

Skilfully dodging the masses of townsfolk, Gwen eventually made it away from the Market and through the barricade of small houses until she started to notice everything slowly disappear.

In front of her there were no more houses or shops or people. There were simply vast open fields of barley, stretching endlessly ahead of her like a brown patchwork quilt. \All of a sudden she felt free.

There were no guards to stalk her, no walls to imprison her, no betrothed to threaten and beat her.

"I knew you'd like it!" whispered a familiar voice from behind her, as she admired the landscape dreamily.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"I wasn't sure if you'd be able to make it out of the castle. And then you didn't turn up... I was worried about you."

"I know, sorry I was late, the castle is so heavily guarded and Niryal refuses to let me out of his sight, and it took me a while to find an excuse to get out of this stupid ride."

"Oh, and what was your excuse?" Arthur asked intrigued.

"It was pathetic really but I couldn't think of anything else at the time." Gwen said with a shrug.

"Sooooo?"

"I basically just said I was feeling unwell."

Arthur gave a short laugh but it was abruptly cut short as he was hit by a sudden realisation and his face turned to stone.

"But surely you were confined to your chambers when you pretended to be ill. So what happens when someone realises you are not there, you do not expect the servants to be loyal to you. They will most definitely tell the King and he will realise that you have lied to him. Guinevere he will be furious with you!"

"Calm down" Gwen reassured, reaching for his hand and holding it tight. "Princess Elena is covering for me."

"Princess Elena?" Asked a familiar voice from a distance away.

Gwen turned to see both Merlin and Gwaine striding towards her. They had obviously been stationed amongst the trees, in order to check that she hadn't been followed.

"Yes Princess Elena." Gwen answered. "She recognised me from her visit to Camelot and she empathised with me; she too knows what it's like to be forced into marriage. She didn't ask any questions about my circumstances, instead she just asked if there was anything she could do to help, so I told her that I wished to escape the castle for a few hours. The story is that I'm ill and unable to leave my quarters so she's keeping me company whilst her maid nurses me. I owe her a great deal, she has a kind heart." Gwen finished.

"So, I'm curious Gwen, where did _'Princess Sophia'_ come from? You remember that when we first met and I tried to figure out your name, that was one of my guesses along with Esmerelda." Gwaine said with a smile as he recalled the fond memory.

A frown crossed Gwen's face as she realised she would have to retell a painful memory; she had hoped this time wouldn't come but they were her friends and they deserved to know the full story.

"Well, once I had been abducted and brought here Niryal said that I needed a new identity. He said that it was unacceptable and disgraceful for a member of royalty to marry a serving maid- as we know too well- so somehow he managed to alter my status to that of a _'long lost princess'_."

"That's why he got your birth certificate from your uncle. He must've managed to have it forged. I always thought that it was strange that he went to such lengths to get it, because who would care about the legitimacy of a commoner wedding right? But we never thought that it could have been a royal wedding, I guess that's why your uncles legal permission to marry was so important aswell." Merlin gushed breathlessly.

"What about my uncle? And what do you mean permission to marry?" asked Gwen completely puzzled.

"I'll explain later, ignore Merlin and carry on." Arthur prompted her to continue.

"Well he said that Gwen wasn't a suitable name for a princess and that I needed a new one to fit my title. My mother was called Sophie, she passed away when I was a child but she was wonderful and I loved her dearly- so I couldn't think of a better name to use. But apparently Sophie doesn't sound royal enough, so it became _'Sophia'_."

"But the thing I don't understand," asked Merlin curiously "Is why he intends to marry you rather than make you his mistress- no offence." he added quickly.

Gwen gave a small laugh as Merlin instantly blushed bright pink.

"Don't worry, no offence taken- I'm sure you were all thinking it anyway. Apparently one of his relatives left him a huge sum of land and money, but on the condition that he married within the year; and he's neither young, attractive or friendly so finding a bride must've been impossible. Besides, I bet he's keen to create some heirs and for that you need a wife not a mistress."

They all fell silent. They now had answers to their little wonderings but there was still one huge question staring straight at them. Like a huge, invisible monster, standing over them, breathing down their necks. They all knew it was their but none of them were prepared to slay it, so they reverted to simply ignoring it, hoping it would disappear on its own. But it wouldn't.

The burning question eating away at them: what happens now?

###

They sat in the barley fields all afternoon. Reminiscing about their extremely different childhoods, teasing each other and cracking jokes- anything to distract them from reality.

It was only when the sun began to set and the sky was beginning to gain an orangey glow that Gwen realised how late it was.

"Goodness!" I need to get back to the castle before they return from their ride!" Gwen exclaimed suddenly, jumping to her feet and frantically dusting off her skirt.

"It's fine, you can take my horse and we'll walk back. You need not worry Guinevere, it will save you a good fifty minutes from your journey," Arthur said in a calming voice.

Gwen smiled and she became visibly calmer. "Thank you Arthur," she said in a less panicked voice, then turning round to face Merlin and Gwaine she added, "And I will see you all at the feast tonight. I want you to know that I'm truly grateful for today, I can't tell you how much it means to spend time with you three away from that wretched place."

"Don't worry about it, now come here princess." Gwaine said with a cheeky grin, opening his arms wide and pulling Gwen into a tight hug.

Instantly, Gwen screamed out in pain and roughly jerked her body away from him.

Three pairs of eyes turned in unison to stare at her: all of them filled with a mixture of shock, worry and confusion.

Gwen had answered enough questions today and she wasn't willing to answer any more, so without a word she turned away from her friends and started to walk back towards the castle; breathing heavily with each step, trying desperately to conceal the whimpers of pain which slipped past her lips.

After a few steps Arthur rested his hand on her shoulder lightly. He knew this was tough for her and he didn't want to intimidate her or push her into explaining. Instead he spoke quietly to her, his love for her evident in his voice.

"What's wrong Guinevere? Whatever it is you can trust me, I promise. Please tell me."

"I can't." she said in a pained voice.

"You can, honest." he replied softly.

"I can't. I can't. Sorry Arthur but it's too hard." she cried- her voice etched in agony- as a single tear rolled slowly down her cheek. She couldn't let him know: he would never forgive himself if he found out. \Merlin stepped forwards cautiously and cleared his throat.

"I understand that you can't tell us what happened Gwen, but will you let me examine you quickly. Instead. Gaius has trained me and it won't take a minute, I just need to know what's causing you such pain like this- it could be serious Gwen."

Gwen shook her head. She didn't want them to see the damage and to be honest, she didn't want to be told how serious it was either.

Suddenly, Gwen clutched her stomach in agony as pain shot through her entire body. She gritted her teeth as her breathing became panicked and the pain intensified.

Seeing the person he loved most in such terrible pain sent Arthur into action. He scooped her up and carried her swiftly towards the trees at the edge of the field, his heart pounding as his beloved lay in his arms, writhing in pain.

###

Arthur and Gwaine waited nervously behind a row of trees at the edge of the field. Merlin had managed to calm Gwen down and relieve some of the pain (using a basic remedy he had concocted from some nearby herbs) and they were both stood on the opposite side of the trees.

"Could you just pull your top up a bit, just so I can see your stomach." Merlin asked timidly.

Gwen responded by reluctantly untucking her top from her skirt and lifting it up by a few inches, subconsciously holding her breath in anticipation of Merlins reaction.

Merlin gasped sharply as her injuries became obvious and he winced slightly as he imagined Gwen's pain.

The whole of her stomach was red and swollen. Deep purple bruises covered her delicate skin- especially around her ribcage- and as Merlin laid his hands over the bruising to check for internal damage she cried out in pain and keeled over: clutching her stomach in agony.

"GUINEVERE!" Arthur yelled in distress from the other side of the trees. Not being able to see her or comfort her was torture for him. He wanted nothing more than to hold her close and somehow take the pain away.

Meanwhile Gwen was still bent over, breathing heavily through gritted teeth in an attempt to combat the pain. Noticing that she in no fit state to form a reply, Merlin answered on her behalf.

"Arthur it's alright, we're nearly finished." he shouted through the barricade of trees in what he hoped was a reassuring voice. In truth the situation was anything but 'alright', though he couldn't let Arthur know that, so he turned back to Gwen and sat her down on the grass, kneeling beside her.

"He did this to you, didn't he?" Merlin asked in a low voice so that the others wouldn't hear.

"It's nothing."

"Gwen, I've worked with Gaius long enough to recognise badly broken ribs, and yours are definitely some of the worst. We can help Gwen, just tell me."

"I can't." She said in a hollow voice.

"You can, I promise. If you're worried he will hurt you again if he finds out that you told someone..."

"It's not that." Gwen interrupted.

"Then what is it? Come on Gwen, we've been friends for years why can't you trust me?" Merlin said, his eyes swimming with hurt and concern.

"I don't want... I don't want Arthur to think it was his fault."

"What do you mean?"

"Last night we stayed together- just talking- and Niryal noticed my absence of course, he always does! He was angry and I defied him: so I was _'taught a lesson'_. I know Arthur, he will blame himself but it wasn't his fault. I was the one who made things worse by winding Niryal up, he likes to think he can control me and put me on show like his prized possession- but he can't and he never will."

With that Gwen stood up, tucked in her top and stumbled around the row of trees that separated her from Arthur and Gwaine. She wasn't sure how much they had heard; the conversation between her and Merlin had started as whispers but had eventually grown considerably louder as her anger intensified.

As she rounded a large oak, Arthurs pained face came into vision. His eyes instantly lit up as he saw her and he gently pulled her into a loose hug, carefully avoiding any pressure on her stomach or ribs.

"How dare he touch you." Arthur murmured to himself as he held her close.

"You heard what I said?" Gwen questioned warily, panic creeping into her voice.

"No, but it wasn't hard to guess. We will get you away from here Guinevere- away from him- I promise."

"No." Gwen said simply as she pulled away from Arthurs embrace.

Arthur, Merlin and Gwaine all turned to look at her with startled expressions.

"What?" they all asked in unison, pure bewilderment clear in their voices.

"There's no point. You've seen how heavily guarded the place is and there is no time: the wedding is tomorrow. Besides, how do you expect me to return to Camelot now that everyone believes me to be Princess Sophia, you are still only a prince and your father would lock you up and send me back should he find out."

They all stared at her in disbelief, too shocked to speak.

"It is my duty to Camelot to stay here, that is what fate has clearly decided." Gwen finished and started to limp towards the horse which Arthur had offered her.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 

**Sorry about the week long gap between upload, but christmas shopping + exams = no spare time whatsoever! Anyway hope this chapter makes up for it...**

"Thank you ever so much, you have no idea how much it meant to me." Gwen said gratefully as she hugged Elena. She had made it back to the castle in plenty of time (having rode Arthurs horse) and was now stood in her chambers thanking her new friend for providing her with an alibi.

"It was no problem. I understand what it feels like to be in your situation, to be betrothed to someone who you do not love, and know that you belong to them for all eternity. At least I was promised to Arthur and though I did not love him we respected and liked each other. I could not imagine how terrible and frightening it must be to be married to someone whom you truly detest. Your bravery impresses me Gwen."

Gwen smiled half heartedly at the compliment. She had become very fond of Elena in such a short space of time. She didn't continually ask questions or judge her decisions, she listened and she understood.

"I know you have done much for me already Elena, but would you mind staying a little longer, maybe whilst we get ready for the feast this evening. It's just that I hate being alone in this dreadful place."

Elena smiled enthusiastically and her eyes became noticeably brighter.

"I was hoping you'd ask, you're the only person I feel comfortable around because everyone else is so uptight and snobbish. Oh, and I was rather hoping you'd help me mend one of my dresses, I seemed to have teared it somehow."

Gwen smiled warmly in return (remembering back to how Elena had been rather clumsy on her visit to Camelot.)

###

"So tell me honestly, how bad were Guinevere's injuries?" Arthur asked warily as he sat on his bed deep in thought, with his head resting in his hands. It was exhausting to feel so powerless, watching the one you love get hurt beyond imagination but not being able to do anything about it. If only he were king he would be able to end this whole fiasco. He didn't care about starting a war or disobeying his father: he just wanted his Guinevere back.

"Well..." began Merlin in a voice similar to the one Gaius used when he spoke to distressed patients and relatives. "She had several badly damaged ribs which I'm quite worried about as I've only ever seen broken ribs as a result of men falling from horses, but they never possessed nearly as much bruising as Gwen's. There were also some deep cuts above both her wrists, which I'm sure you noticed yourself, but they should be fully healed in a couple of weeks." Merlin paused for a second, considering his next words carefully, but Arthur immediately noticed his friend's hesitation.

"Go on" he prompted, sensing that there was something more that Merlin wished to say but was obviously feeling uncertain about whether to speak it or not.

"It's just that… well… it has been just under 3 weeks since Gwen was in a coma and I remember Gaius saying that she could have brain damage and that too much stress could make it alot worse."

"So what do we do?" Arthur asked desperately, panic rising in his voice.

"There's nothing we can do. But one things for sure, we need to get her away from here and fast- we have less than 48 hours until the wedding!"

Arthur groaned as his heart was wrenched open at the mention of the wedding, and he fell back onto the bed in defeat.

But there was something else... eating away in the pit of his stomach. A weird sense of foreboding- a sense that something wasn't quite right. The worrying thing was that he had learnt to rely on these sensations as Merlin always seemed to voice something on the lines of 'I have a strange feeling about this' before something went badly wrong.

"I've just got this bad feeling..." Arthur spoke up. "Something that Guinevere said earlier- it just didn't fit! She said she wouldn't leave with us because it was her duty to Camelot to stay. Why would she say that? How does any of this involve Camelot? It just doesn't make sense!"

Merlin sighed in agreement and set about gathering Arthurs cloak and crown.

"I know what you mean. Something's going on and we need to find out what, but first you need to put these on- the feast will start in a few minutes and your father will be furious if you are late."

Arthur let out another groan and reluctantly took the cloak that Merlin was handed him and fastened it over his chainmail. He then rested the golden crown clumsily atop his head.

Sometimes he hated this crown. It represented the status and power that he held, whereas in reality he was utterly powerless. Even though he was prince, he was still under his father's control and he had to follow his orders like everyone else. He was still just a prince and he hated how impossible it was to defy his father; even if it meant watching his beloved be harmed right in front of his eyes, his father wouldn't care.

'Not this time' he thought angrily as he marched towards the banquet hall. He didn't notice Merlin slip seamlessly into one of the many servant passages until he turned around and noticed his absence.

Then it hit him! The solution to their problem. He glanced around him to check his theory and he was right! The entrances to all the servant passages were unguarded, discreet and out of sight (and they were probably the only place Niryal would not think to search).

Slowly an escape plan seemed to form in Arthur's mind as he made his way to the banquet hall.

Luckily he reached the large group gathered at the doors to the hall on time; sparing himself a lecture from Uther on 'the importance of timekeeping.' Apparently turning up late to an event was the mark of a commoner.

After waiting for a few minutes, the double, oak doors were eventually hauled open and the hungry guests rushed in excitedly.

The room was almost unrecognisable compared to the previous night. The square of benches had been replaced with a long, solid oak table that stretched the entire length of the hall. The table was decorated with hundreds of tall candles, flickering beautifully in the dim room, but it also seemed strangely bare (lacking the expansive feast that covered the table the night before). Taking the foods place, infront of each chair there was a small, rectangular card each inscribed with a name.

The guest's confused expressions soon became ones of intrigue as they wandered along the large table, searching for the plaque which held their name. It didn't take long for them to find their seats and begin to chatter animatedly about what was going to happen next.

Arthur eventually found his name card near the head of the table with all of the other royalty, realising that this seating arrangement was Niryal's way to surround himself by all of the other Kings from the various kingdoms- as all the lords and ladies of lower standing were all seated further down the table. He quickly glanced at all the other cards around him and noticed that he was sat 3 places away from Niryal (with Uther, Odin and a foreign king called Jacque separating them).

Once everyone was seated the double doors opened again with a loud creak and in processed King Niryal… with Guinevere on his arm.

Arthur's jaw dropped as he saw her, gliding gracefully towards the the end of the table, drawing nearer and nearer towards him.

Her hair was pulled up into a elegant bun, with a few escaping curls framing her radiant face. She looked beautiful; her deep purple dress- the colour of summer berries- enhanced her figure and the delicate silver swirls which patterned the bodice glinted in the candle light. The sleeves were made out of thin, purple chiffon and hung loosely off her arms, trailing down to knee height, revealing her slender fore arms.

This is how Arthur had always imagined she would look when she became queen. Elegant and beautiful.

But perhaps she would become someone else's queen.

The thought hit him hard and it felt as if all the breath had been knocked out of him as he paid more attention to the smirk on Niryal's face. He was truly enjoying parading her about infront of all the other nobles, enjoying the jealous look in their eyes as he flaunted his new, young beauty.

Arthur was instantly reminded of Gwen's words from behind the hedge earlier that day, when she thought that only Merlin could hear her. He recalled how she had said she hated being put on exhibit for everyone to admire and to congratulate Niryal on bagging such a young and generously gifted bride. _"His prized possession"_ she had said, and Arthur felt a stab of pain deep within his heart.

They eventually reached the head of the table and as Niryal pulled out the grandly carved chair for Gwen, Arthur could see the clear look of disgust and uncomfort on her face. Apparently oblivious to this, Niryal took the seat beside her and declared in a loud voice:

"Let the festivities begin!"

He clapped his hands and the does opened instantly as a crowd of servants poured into the room, their arms laden with huge platters of meat, cheeses and various roasted vegetables. They set them down at intervals along the long table and placed a simple plate infront of each guest, so that they could help themselves to the food.

A young servant boy- named Eric- placed plates along the row; from Arthur to Uther to Jacque to Odin to Niryal and proceeded to lay one for Gwen when Niryal abruptly stopped him by hovering his hand in the space that Eric was about to place the plate.

"Princess Sophia will not be eating tonight." he said with a sly grin before adding, "she made her request very clear."

"Oh, I noticed that you didn't join us on the ride this morning. Are you still feeling unwell my lady?" Jacque asked in a heavily accented voice. Gwen was unfamiliar with his accent but was touched by his concern.

Gwen opened her mouth to reply but Niryal interrupted her before she had time to form her words.

"Yes she is still fairly ill, but I have no doubts that she will not be fully recovered for the wedding tomorrow. The princess only wished to be excused from eating, for fear of making her sickness worse." Niryal said dramatically, turning his head to flash Gwen a knowing smirk.

Her mind automatically replayed the scene at breakfast earlier that day...

_"I would rather starve than dine with you."_  
_"Then you will do so. I think it is time you are taught a lesson."_

She glared back at Niryal and sat up straight with her chin lifted up, trying to give him the impression that she was unbothered by the inability to eat, whilst her starved stomach craved for the delicious food infront of her.

She sat in silence for a while, staring at her hands which were folded neatly upon her lap, until she felt someone's eyes burning into her. She looked up, meeting Arthurs intense gaze and she noticed that he hadn't touched anything on his plate (he had refused to eat anything: if Guinevere wasn't allowed to eat then neither would he).

Gwen recognised the anger building in his eyes so gave him a small, reassuring smile and opened her mouth to silently mouth something to him when she was interrupted by Odin.

"So why haven't I ever heard of a Princess Sophia before. You have such divine beauty I'm surprised nobody has cared to mention you before. Where do you come from, if you don't mind me asking." Odin said curiously.

"Of course not." Gwen paused, trying desperately to remember the fake storyline. "Well... I was born and brought up in... in... in..." she looked around frantically for inspiration and her eyes caught on one particular object. "In... candle... Candleinnia. But my parents were killed by... erm... an assassin who also wanted me dead so I had to go into hiding in order to escape, I have only recently resumed my identity again."

"But what about this assassin? Surely he is still waiting- you are still in danger!" Jacque exclaimed and Arthur rolled his eyes at the man's sudden interest in Gwen's safety.

"She has me for protection now- how could she be in any danger!" Niryal snapped possessively.

Jacque sank into his chair nervously and dipped his head whilst the other kings continued their military discussion.

The night carried on in a similar way (the kings conversing about things that Gwen had no interest in as she sat motionless and stared into the distance) until the musicians picked up their instruments again and started to play a lively tune.

A dancing tune.

Gwen was thrilled at the prospect, all her life having watched the dancers as she stood by the edge with the other servants, dreaming that one day she would actually get the opportunity to join the ladies in their fine dresses and the handsome young men.

Unfortunately, she seemed to be sat beside the wrong person. Whilst everyone else seemed to become filled with excitement at the sound of the music, Niryal had the complete opposite effect. He hunched his shoulders and folded his muscular arms across his body as his cold eyes narrowed with displeasure.

It couldn't be more obvious that he didn't intend to dance.

However, Jacque seemed to share the same excitement as everyone else at the prospect of dancing, as he suddenly sat up in straight in his chair and a genuine grin appeared on his face.

"Would you care to dance Princess?" he asked in his kind, accented voice, to which Arthur again rolled his eyes and let out a inward sigh.

Gwen was just about to accept his invitation when Niryal completely cut her off.

"You know full well that Princess Sophia is unwell and she has no desire whatsoever to dance." he barked at Jacque who took this as his cue to leave. Gwen gave Niryal a deadly glare, disgusted his possessiveness.

After a few more minutes of pointless conversation- to which Gwen refused to take part in- a boy from a nearby kingdom approached the head table, his head lifted proudly with confidence. It was obvious by his cocky expression that he was probably some spoilt prince, not too different from how Arthur used to be. As he drew nearer to the top end of the table he locked eyes with Gwen and said in a bold voice:

"Princess, would you care to accompany me on the next dance?"

Niryal's head jolted upwards and it would not have been surprising if steam had blown out of his ears.

"Have you no shame!" Niryal seethed. "Asking another man's betrothed to dance with you. She will do no such thing."

The boy promptly turned and hurried away, attempting to hide amongst the crowd of dancers.

Niryal was fast turning red, his anger reaching boiling point.

"Why is it that every man here wishes to dance with my fiancé." Niryal said to himself, his voice thinly concealing his fury.

"That is because your fiancé is extremely beautiful." said Odin in a smarmy voice whilst dishonourably eyeing up Gwen. "And all the men are jealous, they wish her to be their own.

Niryal gave a devious laugh and looked at Gwen; his eyes filled with lust and intent.

"Well, she is all mine." he said and bent his head towards her, his lips puckered as he tried to force them onto her sweet, plump lips. Gwen immediately turned her head away from him in a flash and flung her hand up to the side of her face, creating a barricade between them.

Niryal was outraged at her defiance but quickly cast his eyes around him and noticed that everyone was watching. Now was not the time to create a scene.

He grabbed the wrist that was now between them and yanked it down forcefully, allowing him to lean even even closer to her... so close that she could feel his hot, putrid breath on her neck.

He smiled at her obvious discomfort and whispered seductively into her ear.

"You can block my advances but tomorrow night you will be my wife and there will be nothing you can do to stop me having my way. When the time comes you will surrender yourself to me willingly. Oh how I shall enjoy the sight of you lying naked in our marital bed."

Suddenly Gwen yanked her hand from Niryal's grip and knocked his tankard of boiling mead straight into his lap, scolding his chest and legs with the burning hot liquid. He roared in pain as the mead soaked through the thin fabric of his tunic, making contact with his skin.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" he growled at Gwen and raced out of the banquet hall.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Gwen shuddered as she realised that everything Niryal had just said was completely true. She was horrified at what would surely happen after the wedding ceremony, but there was no way she could prevent it from happening: he was just too strong.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of someone clearing their throat loudly behind her- obviously in an attempt to grab her attention- but she kept her eyes downcast, not in the mood to participate in idle chat with random royalty.

"Would you do me the honour of joining me in the next dance, princess?" he asked hopefully.

Gwen's eyes instantly lit up at the sound of his soft voice, the voice she had become so attached to. He stood there infront if her, hand outstretched, waiting eagerly for her answer.

"I would be delighted, Prince Arthur." she replied with a warm smile, taking his hand as he led her out into the dance floor. The musicians were now playing a more slow, rhythmic tune so Arthur placed his palms on Gwen's delicate waist and she rested hers on his muscular shoulders.

They stayed in that position for quite a while, swaying and twirling to the music in a comfortable silence: neither of them needing words to express their feelings, just being close to each other was enough. They danced together on and on, the whole world disappearing around them as they moved together in their own little bubble. Nothing else mattered. Nothing but the two of them... together... for however long this perfect moment would last.

"I saw what you did to Niryal, the other kings may be fooled but no way was that an accident." Arthur said simply, only loud enough for Gwen to hear over the sound of the musicians and the chatter of the guests.

"Well..." Gwen said with a smirk. "You know I hate him treating me like his favourite belonging, so maybe it was his turn to be 'taught a lesson'."

"That's my girl!" said Arthur, now wearing an identical grin.

They danced a little longer before Arthur built up enough courage to ask her the question that was playing heavily on his mind.

"Guinevere. I've been thinking of ways to get you out of here and I've finally managed to formulate a plan. You'll need to meet me tomorrow at..."

"Arthur I can't." she interrupted, her voice almost braking with the pain of such a confession. She silently begged that he would stop giving her false hope; she knew there was no way out of this and it would be so much easier for them both if he just accepted it.

"Guinevere I don't understand. Why won't you leave here, you have to tell me." he pleaded, tears threatening to spill from his soft, blue eyes.

Gwen hesitated for a while, staring at the broken man in front of her, knowing that she was the one that had done this to him. She couldn't tell him the real reason because she didn't want him to have to make the ultimate choice- she had caused him enough pain without making him feel incredibly guilty and responsible for the consequences.

So instead she decided to choose for him.

"Sometimes in order to do what is best for a kingdom and its people, you need to put personal feelings aside and I fear that it what we both must do. I cannot let Camelot suffer in exchange for my happiness." Gwen spoke solemnly.

"But I still don't understand! How is Camelot involved in this? What are you hiding from me Guinevere, why won't you just tell me the truth."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want you to feel like you have to choose!" Gwen finally gave in to his questioning, her voice shaking as she fought back tears. "I know you wouldn't be able to live with yourself if you thought it was you who had condemned me to this life. You still haven't forgiven yourself for my attack in Camelot, I know you still blame yourself for not protecting me."

"But it was my fault. I should have been there." Arthur stammered, on the verge of tears aswell.

"It wasn't Arthur. You're not responsible for everything bad they happens when you're not around. Now please, do me a favour... forget about me. Go back to Camelot for your people and forget about me. Carry on with you life and become the great king you are destined to be."

"I could never forget you!" Arthur chocked as tears began to roll down his cheeks.

"But you must. It's for the best."

"How could it possibly be for the best? I can't live without you Guinevere, these last few days have been torture for me. I love you with all my heart. You can't leave me Guinevere, I don't know what I'll do without you."

"I love you too, more than you could imagine, but you have to let me go." Gwen said, her words muffled by the strain of controlling her sobs. Unable to hold them much longer, she broke away from Arthur's hold and quickly escaped the banquet hall before anyone had time to notice their strange interaction.

Arthur was left standing at the spot where she had just stood; his face crestfallen and his spirit broken.

But he was not one to give up so easily. They had come too far to back away now, besides his life was not worth living without her.

###

It was around 8:45pm that same night when it arrived.

Gwen was curled up in a small ball on the windowsill in her chambers whilst the celebrations were still in full swing further down the corridor.

Everything was silent apart from the pounding of her heart beat and the heavy breathing now that her sobs had finally subsided. It was because it was so silent that she heard a faint rustling outside her door.

Then something entirely unexpected happened!

A carefully folded piece of parchment was pushed under her door and there was the unmistakable sound of retreating footsteps.

Gwen decided to ignore it but her curiosity quickly got the better of her and before she realised it she was crossing the room and kneeling by the foot of the door, the parchment grasped in her hands.

She sat with her back against the door as she slowly unfolded it to reveal a block of slanted and slightly scruffy writing...

_To the girl who stole my heart, _  
_I hate us being kept apart. _  
_Once by society, status and an arrogant king, _  
_Now by the prospect of you wearing a ring. _  
_So when the castle clock strikes nine, _  
_And when the stars begin to shine. _  
_Down in the stables I will wait, _  
_So that we can decide our fate. _

_Beauty, wisdom, kind and fair, _  
_There is no other who could compare. _  
_I only wish to hold you near, _  
_So won't you meet with me, my dear. _

_Sir William x_

Gwen smiled as she read the last words, reminding her of the memory when her _Sir William_ came to stay during a jousting tournament. It was strange how you could fall so whole heartedly in love with someone when you despised them at first.

The poem itself was pretty dorky and she almost laughed at the image of Arthur trying to write poetry and wrack his brain for rhyming words. Although, she couldn't fault his intentions, it was a sweet and romantic gesture and she was deeply touched by it.

But did she intend to meet with him?

She was tired of being questioned and having to explain every single decision. She didn't want it to turn into another standoff between them. She didn't want to look into his eyes and see all the hurt that she had caused him.

But he was Arthur.

She loved him with every fibre in her body: he was her life, her soul, her heart. No matter what the consequences, she wanted to be with him this last night before she belonged to another man. It could very well be the last time that they would be able to speak freely.

###

Arthur stood in the corner of the stable, hidden amongst the shadows that were cast by the dark night. He was starting to become fidgety as his anxiety grew.

Gwen still hadn't arrived and it was 10 minutes past 9. Had she decided against meeting him or was something wrong?

That if Niryal had confined her to her chambers? What if he had had her locked away until the wedding tomorrow? What if Arthur didn't get chance to see her before... before she became Niryal's wife and he had to return to Camelot and never see her again!

Thousands of questions ran through his mind as he waited nervously in the shadows.

Suddenly there was the sound of creaking and moonlight flooded into the stables, revealing Arthur's form and casting a silhouette over another form which had appeared in the open doorway.

"I was beginning to think that you weren't coming... that something must have happened. Or maybe perhaps that you didn't wish to see me." Arthur whispered through the frosty night air as Gwen approached him slowly.

"Oh Arthur, I will always want to see you and that will never change. I was just, errr, um, thinking things over before I came to meet you." Gwen answered quietly.

"What things?" Arthur asked worriedly.

"Well I was, errr... thinking about what you said earlier, when we were dancing." she paused, now standing inches away from him and feeling the familiar effects of having him so close. Her head began to spin and her heart raced; he was the most powerful drug but she was addicted and she wouldn't have it any other way.

She took a deep breath and continued.

"You said you had found a way to escape this wretched place and if it's still possible... let's do it."

"What?" Arthur asked in pure shock. Her certainty on the matter earlier had convinced him that she would not change her mind, so this was completely unexpected.

"Let's get out of this place. I refuse to spend my entire life being miserable, tied to a detestable man and being denied my true love. I know my heart will be unable to withstand the pain of being without you Arthur."

"You're saying you'll run away with me?" Arthur said excitedly, still in a state of utter disbelief.

"Yes Arthur, I'm saying I'll run away with you!" Gwen confirmed with a grin as she nodded her head enthusiastically.

Arthur felt ecstatic. He grabbed Gwen by the shoulders and pulled her towards him, crashing his lips against hers in a deep and passionate kiss.

They stayed in that position for what seemed like an eternity, both relishing in the sweet taste of each others lips until they became breathless and reluctantly broke apart.

Breathing heavily, Arthur pressed his forehead against Gwen's forehead and whispered softly. "I had almost given up hope. I think I would rather die than see you married to another man knowing that I'd lost you forever."

"Me too." Gwen panted slightly. "But there is one condition."

The happiness was quickly drained from Arthur's features and his face turned to stone.

"Condition?" he asked warily.

"Well... the reason I gave for not leaving here... well... it is still a problem and I'm only agreeing to leave if we can find a solution to it."

"Guinevere your not making any sense."

She sighed deeply to herself, knowing there was no way she could deny him the full story anymore. Taking a deep breath she began to fill him in with the details he had been desperately craving for so long.

"You remember when I told you that it was my duty to Camelot to stay here. Well, when Niryal visited Camelot somehow he managed to steal some scrolls containing secret military tactics and the plans to the whole of Camelot- including seige tunnels, secret passages and every possible entrance to the castle. If Niryal declared war on Camelot there would be very little chance of victory." Gwen paused for a second as tears started to spill out of her chocolate eyes. "And he threatened me. He said that if I tried to run away or made him look foolish he would declare war on Camelot and I couldn't let that happen... I just couldn't. I could stand it when he beat me but there's no way I could endenger the lives of everyone in Camelot."

Gwen burst out in an uncontrollable sob and Arthur pulled her into his warm, comforting embrace.

"Shhhhh, it's alright, it's alright." Arthur soothed as he stroked her hair, planting soft kisses into her brown curls.

"So many people could die- knights, women and children- and it would be all my fault."

"That won't happen Guinevere, trust me." He tightened his hold around her, pulling her further into his warmth, consoling her until her tears finally ceased.

Somehow they would find a way out of this mess.


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry it's been a while since the last update. Christmas was hectic as always and having to revise through the holidays is literally hell, but hey here's the next chapter...**

Chapter 17

"What's up?" Merlin inquired as Arthur sped into his guest chambers and ran straight up to Merlin.

"You were right Niryal was up to something when he visited Camelot. He stole documents containing maps of Camelot's write tunnels and all of our secret military tactics. Should Niryal declare was on Camelot thousands of innocent people would be slaughtered and that was the reason Guinevere said she couldn't leave here."

"Her _'duty to Camelot'..._ it makes sense now!" Merlin said as the realisation of her words hit him. "But couldn't we just steal these documents and escape."

"No," Arthur said sadly. "Niryal is a strong military leader of a powerful army, he will have copied the plans and even committed them to memory."

"So why do you look so hopeful?" Merlin inquired curiously.

"Because Guinevere told me she will leave with us if we find a way to escape without endangering Camelot." Arthur said as a grin started to form.

"Really?" Merlin asked excitedly. "How come she changed her mind? Actually that doesn't matter- we need to find a way out of here whilst protecting Camelot at the same time, and we need to do it quickly because the wedding is tomorrow."

"Whatever it takes, we'll get her home and out of this mess. Is Niryal still at the banquet?"

"Yes most of the guests are still there- it was a nightmare for me to slip away. Why?" Merlin asked confusedly.

"Just follow me... Niryal must have something in his chambers that we can use against him."

"Blackmail?"

"It's the only thing I can think of which will stop him coming after us. Otherwise he would just hunt us down and force Gwen back again, I don't want that and I don't want to be looking over my shoulder the rest of my life."

"Then lets go. We can't waste any time."

###

"Found anything yet?" Arthur whispered as they searched through the Niryal's chambers desperately trying to find any incriminating evidence or closely guarded secret that they could use against Niryal.

"Not yet, you?" Merlin asked as he rifled through a drawer filled with documents, not one of them the least bit useful.

"No, but I'm not surprised. He's not stupid so he wouldn't leave anything secretive lying around, the only problem is that all of these cabinets are firmly locked. If what we're looking for is in this room my bet is that it's in there." He said defeatedly whilst trying earnestly to prise open the cabinet door.

"Let me try." said Merlin casually and Arthur shrugged in agreement, it was worth a shot.

Merlin moved over to the cabinet and asked Arthur for his penknife which he handed over in puzzlement. Merlin then stood with his back to Arthur and pretended to fit the penknife into the lock, twisting and wriggling it about as he muttered a combination of strange words under his breath and his eyes flashed golden.

All of a sudden the door unlocked itself with a sharp click and the door swung open with a long creak.

Arthur stared at Merlin with utter astonishment.

"Merlin, you are a genius! Well on some occasions anyway... most of the time you are a bit of a clot pole."

"Hey!" Merlin said as he turned around to face Arthur. "I'm the one with the penknife so you might want to watch what you say." he teased with a friendly smile.

Arthur laughed slightly and turned his attention to the contents of the cabinet. There were several documents lying there: the ones Niryal had stonel from Camelot, a parchment with a full map of Bernia and Gwen's forged birth certificate.

"These could all come in useful..." Arthur mused, obviously deep in thought about something- no doubt a cunning plan of escape.

"Yeah. I'll put some glue or something on the door so that Niryal can't open it, that way he won't know we've stolen anything."

Arthur nodded in approval but was clearly concentrating hard on an idea that was beginning to form in his mind. As he was distracted Merlin was able to magically lock the door with a few muttered words and a flash of his golden eyes and Arthur didn't notice anything.

All or a sudden there was the distant sound of footsteps from the corridor outside, which was soon joined by the sound of voices... gradually getting louder and louder.

Heading towards them!

Merlin and Arthur panicedly looked around: their eyes searching for somewhere to hide. Inevitable though it was, the wardrobe seemed like the only place in the room where they could both hide; either that or under the bed.

Arthur pushed Merlin in the direction of the wardrobe and they both leapt inside it.

A second after they had closed the wardrobe door a loud creaking sound erupted and the voices suddenly became a lot clearer.

They were inside the room!

Niryal's voice echoed clearly through the room as he seemed to be discussing something with someone.

_"If you'll excuse me for one minute I'll just find those documents that you wished to see and then we can return to the feast." _

Arthur and Merlin exchanged panicked glances with each other. Surely Niryal was not referring to the documents that they had stolen only seconds before; and if so they would undoubtedly be caught when Niryal fails to open the cabinet and realises that the documents in question are missing.

Hidden in the wardrobe meant neither of them could see anything but they simultaneously froze as the sound of Niryal's footsteps drew nearer to the position of the cabinet.

_"Here you go old friend. I have been so busy organising this wedding that I've not given much thought to the summer jousting tournament, but here are the preparations I have made so far." _

Arthur and Merlin both let out a sigh of relief and pressed their ears closer to the doors, listenening intently to the intriguing conversation.

_"Ahhh yes, only hours to go until the big day. But I suppose it's not the day which you are looking forward to, more the night- am I right?" _

_"Oh yes indeed, I have been waiting for this moment far too long. I ached for the touch of her bare skin since the moment I saw her. It will be such a... tremendous pleasure to have her beautiful figure beneath me, to finally fulfil the burning desire to let my hands roam free." _

_A short chuckle filled the room and was quickly followed by a second voice. _

_"I believe you will not be disappointed my friend and I imagine the wait will be most rewarding. No person could deny her beauty, her plentiful assets will keep you very busy through the night I am sure." _

_"Hmmmm..." Niryal said dreamily with a sickening smile on his face as he imagined the delights that were soon to come. "The best thing is that she knows any resistance would be useless once we are wed- she will surrender her body to me and there will be no more struggling against my advances. You know dear friend, I attached the key that would enable her escape to the buckle on my belt. All she would have had to have done was to reach down to my groin and retrieve it. She refused of course and it was deeply amusing to watch her squirm, knowing her freedom was a fingers stretch away but also knowing that it was she herself that was preventing her escape. You see, the key unlocks the secret tunnels that lead out of Bernia, the last resort for the king if the palace is invaded. The brilliance is that there is only one key and nobody knows about it, making it impossible for a traitor to use a second key to follow the king: the ultimate escape. I've kept the key on my belt ever since- I love to tempt her with it and watch her expression every she tries to fight the urge to grab it. Also it is strangely erotic to see her stare at my groin."_

Both men erupted in sickening laughter and their footsteps gradually receded from the room.

Merlin let Arthur free from his uncharacteristically strong grip and removed the hand that was covering Arthurs mouth.

It was an understatement to say that Athur was furious and had Niryal been in the room he would not have hesitated to viciously hack him to pieces- the thought which was running through his mind right at this moment.

"GET THAT KEY!" Arthur barked at Merlin who nodded and scurried from the room. He knew the importance of this task and to be honest, he didn't fancy being near Arthur right now- especially with his past record of throwing things after trivial misunderstandings.

As soon as Merlin had left the room Arthur fell to his knees and vomited all over the floor. He could not begin to describe how physically repulsed he felt at Niryal's words. He was so scared and disgusted at the fate his Guinevere would face should their rescue attempt fail.

###

"I've got the key! Even better than that I managed to replicate it so that Niryal's won't even be missing. It was a good job he had drunk so much ale at the banquet- he was out cold in his study."

"Great Merlin! You amaze me sometimes. Anyway I sent Guinevere the note specifying where to meet us, now all we have to do is wait until 4am which should give Gwaine enough time to deactivate the warning bell. Oh and Princess Elena has agreed to spend the whole morning in Guinevere's chambers pretending to help her prepare for the wedding; that should give us enough time to get as far away from here as we can."

"Gosh this is probably one of the best escape plans we've ever come up with. Normally they just entain running in with swords held high and improvising from then onwards." Merlin said, half joking and half impressed by their combined ingenuity.

"Whatever it takes." Arthur stated simply.


	18. Chapter 18

**Happy new year everyone! Apologies about the wait, this chapter took me a long time to write. Anyway thank-you all for your support and reviews, they mean so much to me and I really appreciate it. **

Chapter 18

It was easier than Gwen expected to slip out of her chambers unnoticed. She waited with her ear pressed to the door for a chance to sneak out: which came when she heard an extremely drunken guest topple into the guard outside, slurring that the 7 dwarves had invaded his bed and that he was now following a mysterious trail of breadcrumbs. Gwen heard the guard huff and reluctantly offer to escort the guest to his chambers.

Hearing their receding footsteps Gwen half opened the door and tiptoed around it silently. After glancing both ways to check there was nobody about she set off down the empty corridor, pulling her cloak over her head as she moved.

_'This is it'_ she thought to herself.

Freedom seemed so close now, she could almost reach out and grab it. She longed to be away from this place... away from Niryal. She had never in her life wanted anything as badly as she wanted this: the chance to escape and live happily ever after with Arthur. She knew it sounded like a childish fairytale, but dreams were the only comfort she had recently and she had to hold onto them or she knew she would lose hope entirely.

She hurried along the deserted and dimly lit corridor, the candles the servants had lit hours ago having almost burnt out- it was 4 in the morning afterall.

Her footsteps seemed to echo down the long, winding corridor each time her foot connected with the stone floor. Gwen cringed at the volume of it, trying her hardest to be as quite as she could but there was nothing she could do, she needed to hurry as the guard would surely be returning soon.

Knowing that time was ticking away she quickened her pace and made a sharp turn down a small passageway to her left but instead collided straight into a wall.

_'Damn it!_' she cursed herself under her breath. She couldn't remember if she was supposed to take the first or second left and it was so hard in the dark to keep track of where she was.

She turned around and began to retreat her steps when the wall she had just walked into seemed to reach out and grab her...

"Not so fast Princess!" Said a gruff voice as the strong hands tightened around her arms and suddenly swung her around, pinning her up against the wall.

She looked up to see a scarred but strangely familiar face glaring down at her.

The man's lips slowly upturned in a savage smile, revealing several blackened teeth. She felt his warm, putrid breath on her face as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Remember me? We were in this same position not too long ago but I think your luck must've run out girl cus you don't seem to have any knife this time do ya?" he said with a vicious laugh, his eyes indicating the scar on his upper arm.

It was him! One of the men who had come to her house the night she had read that letter! He was the one who had grabbed her and after she had stabbed him he had crept up behind her and knocked her out with some sleeping gas on a piece of fabric.

"Where's your friend then?" she asked venomously, trying to summon up all the courage she had.

"You murdered him!" he spat furiously. "Doctor said the knife you threw at him severed an artery or summat. Said he bled to death. And I swore I would avenge his death and make you will pay for what you done!"

Gwen shuddered in fear and suddenly heard movement around her. She moved her gaze from the burly man holding the corridor to see guards emerge from from the darkness of every small passage that was connected to the main corridor.

Suddenly she froze as she saw a certain King emerge from the shadows further up the corridor- the direction that she had been headed.

"There will be no further punishment before the wedding- people are already becoming suspicious enough; especially as that infuriating Jacque is spreading gossip about the assassin story we invented. No, appearing bruises will only prompt more questions so we will wait until after the wedding, then he will fulfil whatever revenge he has in mind and I can punish you properly for all your insolence this past week."

The burly man who was still pinning her against the wall grinned at the prospect of getting his revenge and then swiftly turned her around so that she was facing Niryal, with himself gripping her arms tightly behind her back. Gwen now had a clearer view of the dozen guards that had gathered in the corridor and as she stared at them all Niryal seemed to notice the question that was hanging on her lips.

Stepping towards her, he answered the question that she had not yet spoken.

"Did you really expect to escape the night before our wedding without being followed?" Niryal's sneer echoed down the corridor. "I specifically hid guards along every corridor that led away from your chambers so that we could catch you."

"Then why didn't you?" asked Gwen in her most authoritative voice. "I have been walking for a while now, if you had guards positioned as you say then why didn't any of them simply grab me?"

"Ahhh my sweet Princess, are you really this naive. We were waiting to see if you attempted to meet anyone, to see if you had assistance from a traitor within these walls. But it was as I suspected, a desperate bid to escape that you obviously hadn't thought through very well." he laughed in her face and leaned closer to her- so that his face was only inches away from hers.

"I'm afraid after tomorrow night you will not be quite so naive. But I shall admit I will enjoy the prospect of tainting your innocence and sweetness."

Gwen was infuriated by his torments and his sickening smile, his face still only inches away from hers. She knew what he was about to attempt as he puckered his lips and grabbed her head in his strong hands, keeping her still. But before he could force his lips onto hers, Gwen kicked her knee upwards and it connected forcefully with his groin.

Yelling out in pain Niryal jumped back from her, his eyes watering and his legs crossed. The guard holding her from behind swung her around again, pinning her against the wall in their previous position. His hands gripped her shoulders and his muscular body pressed against hers, restricting any movement.

But Guinevere had never been one to give up easily and she wasn't about to start now. Bending her head to the side she managed to bite down into the tender flesh of the guards palm, only unclamping her teeth when she tasted his blood in her mouth. After a few seconds of his determined efforts, he finally let go of her and cradled his bleeding hand as the pain shot through his arm.

Gwen seized her chance and sprinted down the corridor, dodging all the guards that tried to stand in her way.

After 40 meters or so, she felt large hands wrap around her waist and she was soon tackled to the ground...

The darkness of the dreaded corridor engulfed her as she hit her head against the stone floor and drifted into unconsciousness.

###

"She should be here by now. It's nearly 5am. Something is wrong. Something must be wrong." Merlin mumbled as he paced forwards and backwards across the empty servants passage.

"Just give her more time, she might have had trouble sneaking out of her room. She'll be here: I know she will. Oh and stop pacing Merlin you're making me anxious."

It was at that moment that Gwaine skidded around the corner, almost running straight into them. He bent over, resting his hands on his thighs and panting as he tried to regain his breath and tell them what he had just seen.

"Gwen... trouble… Niryal… not good… guards everywhere…" he panted.

"Gwaine what's going on? Take a deep breath and try again."

Gwaine inhaled deeply and calmed himself down- well enough to stop his voice from stumbling.

"I managed to disarm the warning bell and I was sneaking along one of the smaller passages on my way to meet you two when I saw guards hidden at the entrance. So I went back and tried the next passage, as I got further along I noticed there were guards at the end of that one also. It was the same with the next 4 passages I tried! It was then that I heard one of the guards say: "It's almost sunrise, how much longer do you think we'll be waiting for the princess?" and I realised that there must be guards hidden in all of the passages, waiting to catch Gwen should she try to escape." Gwaine took another deep breath and continued. "I tried to get to Gwen's chambers to warn her but minutes later my path was blocked by dozens of guards. Then I saw someone tackle Gwen to the ground... she hit her head and must've been knocked out!"

Arthur was speechless. His brain didn't seem to be able to make sense of anything Gwaine had just said. He stood frozen to the spot, trying to comprehend what he had just been told, but before it managed to sink in Merlin grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along as he and raced towards Gwen's chambers.

###

Merlin, Gwaine and Arthur had been waiting outside Gwen's chambers for nearly two hours now; watching closely from behind a wall for a chance to sneak in. However the doors were heavily guarded and dozens of guards were now littered along the corridor and nobody- even the servants- seemed to be allowed access to the room.

It seemed this time that there really was no hope left.

Just then there was a loud creaking noise and all 3 heads shot around the wall to locate the source of the noise... Gwen's chambers!

Princess Elena walked out of the chambers with a dress of some sort draped over her arm. The guards outside the door looked suspicious but she quickly silenced them by saying: "I need to take Princess Sophia's wedding dress to the laundry. Honestly if your not going to allow servants to enter these chambers how do you expect the preparations to be done otherwise."

As she turned the corner and passed them she quietly whispered: "I'll meet you in your chambers in 5 minutes after I've dropped his off at the laundry- the guards are already suspicious enough so I need to make sure I have an alibi." she said motioning towards the dress.

Arthur, Merlin and Gwaine all nodded their heads enthusiastically and then rushed off towards Arthur's chambers.

###

The second Elena stepped into Arthur's chambers she started gushing, she was like a runaway train that just couldn't be stopped.

"I guess you know what happened with Gwen because otherwise you wouldn't be waiting outside her room. Anyway she has just woken up after hitting her head on the floor and she's now got a huge lump as a result, but luckily it wasn't bleeding or it could have been much worse. Oh and Niryal is keeping her locked in her room which is surrounded by guards, nobody is allowed in or out apart from me as it was my father who requested that I help Gwen prepare and Niryal is trying to carry on as normal as he doesn't want to raise suspicion. I heard him talking earlier, he said it was imperative that nobody found out what happened last night as he can't bear the idea that people might think that he can't controll his own wife... I mean betrothed." Elena finished, now breathless after such a huge mouthful."

Arthur and Gwaine were still trying to absorb everything Elena had just said as it was spoken at lightening speed. Merlin however had picked up on one particular point.

"Sorry, did you said she had just woken up after hitting her head?" Merlin asked, his voice trembling with worry.

"Yes, but I don't know more than that, other than she said her head 'aches like hell' and she is feeling really dizzy." Elena answered, now wearing a similar expression to Merlin as she realised the situation was obviously more serious than she first thought.

"So that's twice in around 2 weeks that she's been knocked unconscious by a head injury. You do remember what Gaius said, don't you?" he looked to Arthur for confirmation before continuing. "We don't know the extent of the damage from the first head trauma and I am certain that this second injury will have made it worse. She almost died last time Arthur and Gaius said it was pure luck, but she would be unlikely to survive if something triggered a relapse."

"It's not just Gwen's freedom at stake now... It's her life aswell!" Gwaine exclaimed as the realisation suddenly hit him.

"So how long have we go until the wedding." Merlin asked unsteadily as Arthur seemed at a loss as to what to say. He was crumbling down and there was nothing anyone could say or do to console him. It was as if he was already mourning the loss of his beloved Guinevere.

"Half an hour." Elena replied as she cast her eyes downwards, not wanting to see their expressions. "I tried to buy more time but Niryal was adamant that it took place as soon as possible after the situation last night. I kept telling him that Gwen's injuries were serious and that she needed rest but he just wouldn't listen. He threatened to deny my entrance to Gwen's chambers if I didn't hold my tongue, and I couldn't abandon her. I couldn't let her be locked away in a room on her own, waiting in fear for the moment she would be forced to marry the man she despises. I couldn't do that to her."

Merlin moved forwards and embraced the Princess who was now crying softly, unable to keep up the brave appearance any longer.

"Shhhh now. You tried your best and there was nothing more that you could have done. Recently you have been a real support and friend to Gwen and we are all grateful that you have been there for her during her darkest times." Merlin said softly as he rubbed circles on her back reassuringly.

Elena looke up with teary eyes and coughed slightly, trying to find her voice again.

"Oh, I almost forgot... this is for you Arthur." she said reaching down her sleave and retrieving a folded piece of parchment and placing it delicately on the table.

Arthur just stared at it, overwhelmed with so many contrasting emotions.


	19. Chapter 19

_Chapter 19 _

_Dear Arthur,_  
_I am truly sorry about how things have turned out. I knew that it was unlikely that I would get the chance to see you one last time, so here it is... my final goodbye. _  
_I wish with all my heart that this was all a terrible nightmare that we would wake from, but it is not and we must all face the facts of reality. Camelot needs us both; for you to go back and become the greatest King ever known and for me to stay here and prevent war. I know it will be tough for us both but we need to be strong and who knows, we might even be able to form an alliance between Camelot and Bernia meaning we might be able to see each other again. _  
_But until then, know that I love you more than words could express and I have never regretted loving you- not for one second. You were my knight in shining armour, my handsome prince charming, the love of my life and I know that no man on earth could ever replace you. I will cherish the time we spent and the love we shared for all eternity; and know that my undying love will stay with you always. Never forget that. _  
_Your Guinevere_  
_xxx _

Arthur was sat on one of the chairs in the newly decorated banquet hall, his mind continually voicing the letter which he had quickly committed to memory. A shiver ran down his spine as he recalled a certain part. _'Her final goodbye'_ she had called it which chilled Arthur at the thought that they may never see each other again. He felt a pang in his heart, as if it was being wrenched apart at the prospect of being without her. His Guinevere.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a surge of loud chatter as a crowd of people took their seats on the row behind Arthur. Talking excitedly about the flower arrangements, the bride's dress and how wonderful the service would be.

"What am I doing here?" Arthur whispered to Merlin who was sat beside him. "Everyone is so excited about this wedding... it makes me feel sick."

"You're here to support Gwen, like she did when you were waiting at the aisle for Elena. Do you think she would have the strength to do this without you? Besides, we're sitting right next to one of the servant passages so you can always slip away if you need to."

Arthur nodded silently. He didn't want to leave Gwen to face this alone but he knew watching the love of his life exchanging vows with another man would be inevitably unbearable.

The voices coming from the row behind them grew louder and louder so both Arthur and Merlin turned around in their seats to find out who they belonged to: out of a mixture of curiosity and irritation.

To their surprise they found Jacque and a group of his knights gossiping about something they seemed very intrigued with.

"I know what I saw, there were hoards of guards protecting her room this morning. They wouldn't even let her maid enter." said one of the knights.

"And I heard them storming down the corridors last night, someone said that they were tracking down an intruder!" said another.

"I told you!" interrupted Jacque in his accented voice. "It was the assassin that had been paid to kill Princess Sophia. That's why her room was being guarded so intently and why the wedding had been pushed forwards. Anyway, there is one simple way to spot an assassin... by the bodies."

"What?" one of the knights asked horrified.

"Every assassin had his own mark which he leaves on his victims. His way to warn people."

Merlin and Arthur turned back around to face the front, raising their eyebrows at each other.

"Foreigners." Merlin said with an exasperated smile. "Only they could be so stupid and gullible to believe such horse dung."

###

After a few minutes- but what felt like years- trumpets sounded from either side of the large, oak doors and everyone in the hall fell silent.

Arthur held his breath as Niryal stood up from his seat and the oak doors at the end of the hall slowly opened...

In walked Gwen looking absolutely radiant. She wore a creamy coloured dress with small embroided lilac flowers decorating the hem, sleeves and neckline and also scattered on the skirts. She had a cute lavender ribbon around her waist which was tied in a bow at her back, and she clutched a small bouquet of lavenders in her quivering hands. Her curls were tied up in an elegant bun atop her head- with tiny white and purple flowers pinned into the sides- with a few chocolate curls hanging loose, framing her face.

Beautiful. There was no other word that he could use to describe the sight of her as she stepped gracefully through those oak doors.

But beneath the calm, elegant exterior she was crumbling away. Her shell remained intact but her burning spirit had been extinguished, leaving only darkness in its place.

But she had to keep up this charade; only a few hours longer, then all the guests will have departed and it will not matter if her inner turmoil breaks through to the surface.

_With each step she took towards the alter, a new heart shattering realisation hit her, one after another after another after another, as if she was being repeatedly struck in the stomach. _

_After today I will never see Arthur again. After today I will be Niryal's wife. I will belong to him, my reduced to being a mere possession. _

_The thoughts hammered into her skull, actually causing her to grimace and grind her teeth in pain. _

_After today I will be required to share Niryal's bed. Night after night. _

_Her head was swarmed with the thoughts, giving her an agonising headache and meaning she had to concentrate at walking in a straight line. _

_After today I will never smile again. I will never see my friends in Camelot again. _

_Her head was pounding horrifically now, reminding her of the drum beat that accompanied people as they walked to their death. Is that what was happening to her? Was she walking to her death? Although to her, marrying Niryal seemed like a much worse fate. _

_After today I will be required to bear Niryal's heirs. I will see the face of the man I loathe in my children's faces, when I should be seeing Arthur's reflection. _

_Her head seemed like it would explode. Her walking became less graceful and more of a stumble, rearing to the left and then dragging herself back to the centre of the aisle, resembling a drunken Gwaine. _

_After today my life will be a misery... and so will Arthur's. I have condemned him to a painful life of regret and self blame. _

_Her head was now spinning as she frantically tried to regain control, but at this newest revelation the world around her started to blur and swim in front of her eyes._

"I love you Arthur." she breathed out, too quietly for anyone to hear, as she collapsed in a heap in the middle of the aisle- halfway between the alter and the doors which she had entered from minutes before.

The whole room gasped simultaneously and stood from their seats so that they could turn around and see what was happening. They simply stared at the young Princess with their hands pressed over their mouths in shock or held over their hearts in worry, everyone waiting anxiously for her to stir.

But she didn't. She wasn't moving. Not in the slightest. Her body was rigid and there was no sign of her breathing.

Arthur screamed out in agony, crying out to his beloved Guinevere; but no sound escaped his lips. Gwaine had the foresight to clamp his hand firmly against Arthur's mouth to silence any noise, and it was a good job that he did. Arthur struggled against Gwaine's grip as he now held Arthur's arms securely behind his back- preventing his movement- and normally Gwaine would pose no challenge for Arthur, but today he was drained: both emotionally and physically.

Merlin leapt from his chair and dashed towards Gwen before...

"Guards, SEIZE HIM!" Niryal's voice bellowed across the hall.

"No, there isn't a problem. He is our physicians apprentice, he will be able to treat her." Arthur's eyes widened as he heard his fathers voice echo from a row of chairs neared the front of the hall, where all the kings and most honoured guests were required to sit.

Niryal clenched his teeth, neither approving or showing any strong objection as Merlin gathered Gwen up in his arms and carried her from the room. Her head flopping limply... lifelessly.

Although a stern look from Niryal sent three burly guards trailing after them.

###

As soon as they were free of the banquet hall, Merlin was conscious of the shuffling footsteps a close distance behind him.

It was that moment that he made his decision.

He knew that Gwen was dying. It was clear now that she did have some underlying brain damage after being knocked unconscious twice in such a short space of time. The stress of today must have caused a relapse. Her pulse was incredibly weak and Gaius had predicted that she would not survive should this happen again... Merlin knew she had little time left on this earth.

But she would need a miracle to survive. Or maybe not quite a miracle... maybe magic!

His mind was made up.

He pulled sharply into a small room on his right and gently laid Gwen down on a table that seemed to dominate the room.

And then, as the guards stepped in front of the entrance- attempting a human barricade to stop their escape- Merlin's eyes flashed gold.

The guards simultaneously clutched at their throats, their eyes wide with fear as they let out muffled chocking sounds. One by one the men were starved of breath and dropped to the floor with a thud, leaving three dead bodies at Merlin's feet.

Without so much as a glance at them, he held his palm out above the bodies and began muttering in a strange language, his eyes flashing gold with each word that passed his lips.

At his command, black swirls inked themselves upon the men's skin, snaking and twisting until they formed an identical symbol on each body.

A black diamond around a menacing black skull.

The mark of an assassin!

Merlin smiled to himself at his own genius, refusing to let his thoughts rest on the three innocent men he had just murdered. Perhaps they were not quite so innocent anyway, after all they could have been the ones that wrestled Gwen to the ground, knocking her unconscious. Merlin's guilt quickly evaporated and he picked up Gwen and headed to the meeting point they had arranged for their flailed escape that morning.

He just hoped he would be left with enough time to save Gwen.


	20. Chapter 20

**Major thanks for everyone who is sticking with this story and a massive apology for the long wait. The next update will be the final chapter so hopefully you'll enjoy this...**

Chapter 20

The hall erupted with panicked voices as the wedding guests leapt from their seats and clung to each other in small groups.

There was an assassin in the castle!

Jacque's story had spread rapidly within minutes and after the bodies were found with the assassin's mark imprinted on them, everyone's doubts vanished and they fully believed the tale.

"But that story was just a cover-up, wasn't it? Didn't Gwen make it up to distract everyone from the truth and make them believe that she was actually a princess?" Gwaine whispered to Arthur, his confusion evident in his voice.

"Yeah it was definitely a cover-up... wait, perhaps it still is. Perhaps this story is hiding the truth again, distracting people from what is really going on." Arthur's face lit up with realisation. "Quick let's go!" he urged Gwaine and sneaked out of the hall and into the servants passage.

They raced down the narrow passage with only one intention in mind.

###

As all the guards were preoccupied with the threat on an inexistent assassin, it was far easier than expected for Merlin to access the secret tunnels that led out of Bernia.

The entrance was marked on the plans that they had found in Niryal's chambers so it wasn't difficult to locate. It was hidden deep under the castle in a dilapidated and cobwebbed crypt- which probably explains why nobody had ever discovered it before. At the furthest end of the crypt, between two marble tombs, there was a loose floor tile which was just large enough for someone to lower them self into. The hole opened up into a large, draughty tunnel which reeked of mould and rotting...

... animals hopefully. Unless Niryal had found another use for this secret tunnel.

Merlin had managed to lower Gwen carefully into the tunnel where they waited for a few minutes until they heard a grinding sound from above them.

Two figures dropped through the gap in the crypt floor: one of them approached Merlin while the other hauled the loose tile back into place, sealing them in.

"How is she?" Arthur asked tentatively as he smoothed a stray curl off Gwen's sweaty forehead, quickly realising...  
"Merlin she's burning up! Why is she so hot, what do we do?"

"I don't know what internal damage has been done but she seems to be developing a fever. We need to get her out of here and back to Camelot, Gaius will know what to do."

Arthur nodded and swiftly gathered Gwen up into his arms, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, his lips almost scolded by the heat emitting from her skin.

They set off down the musty tunnel: Gwaine in front with his sword risen; Merlin close behind, magically checking the route for signs of trouble; and Arthur bringing up the rear, carrying his life in his arms.

They walked and walked. Not knowing how long the tunnel was, not knowing where they would he when it eventually ended... not knowing if they would all make it out alive.

###

Far above, in the castle the guests were hysterical! Rumours about the deadly assassin had escalated out of control and until both guests and guards believed them to be true. Niryal had only told a handful of his most trusted guards the truth- of how he had abducted a serving girl and fabricated the story of the assassin to cover it up- as he knew he would lose all respect if everyone found out. Well, 3 of the guards who knew he truth had been killed and branded as victims of the assassin and he had killed another guard personally as he had threatened to expose Niryal's secret unless paid an extortionate amount of gold. That meant there was only one other guard who didn't believe the ridiculous story about the assassin.

No. There was no way Niryal could diffuse the situation now, he would just have to go along with it.

"GUARDS! Princess Sophia had been abducted from within these walls, organise a search party immediately. SHE WILL BE FOUND!"

The captain of the guards approached Niryal with raised eyebrows as his men rushed out of the hall to prepare themselves.

"Your majesty, would you mind me asking what the hell is going on. You and I both know that there is no assassin, and if I am not mistaken we are the only people here who know such things. So what you plannin'?" he asked gruffly. Sir Angus was not appointed captain of the guards for his nobility or his brains, rather his brute strength and unquestioning loyalty.

"I want that girl! This will be the last time she humiliates me! She is not allowed to escape, understood?"

"Understood. And when she is returned, I may seek my revenge for the death of Sir Cadual? You did give me your word that I could punish her myself."

"Of course. There will be plenty of time for that after I have destroyed her virtue and taught her a few lessons of my own. Now go, her and the servant boy will be headed towards Camelot so you must intercept them on the way. I might even join the hunt myself."

"Yes my lord."

###

"I can see daylight!" shouted Gwaine from ahead. "It's only faint so the exit must be about a mile away."

"About a mile and a half I'd say." Merlin added, his eyes flashing gold as he used his magic to see the path ahead.

Arthur sighed in relief. Gwen's condition had continued to get worse during the journey and all Arthur could so was pray that they reached Gaius in time. Merlin had been wracking his brains for any remedy- both magical and non magical- that might help until they reached Camelot, but he couldn't think of anything. The only thing worth trying would be to cast a Druid healing spell with the use of a particular flower, which were quite common in most woodland areas. But using magic was always risky- especially in the presence of Arthur.

They walked for a few more minutes, the dim tunnel gradually growing lighter and lighter as they got nearer to the end of the tunnel.

Suddenly Merlin heard a sharp intake of breath from behind him, a hollow, panicked noise which echoed along the tunnel.

Merlin instantly sensed danger and quickly spun around expecting to see guards following them or a strange, magical beast lurking.

Instead his eyes locked on Arthur's traumatised face.

The strain was clear in his face as he struggled to keep hold of the convulsing form in his arms. Gwen's fever had worsened considerably and now she seemed to be fitting, her whole body contracting violently. Her head jerked back and forth, her arms shook and her legs kicked wildly. Soon the seizure became uncontrollably and it was almost impossible for Arthur to carry her any further- he almost dropped her several times as her movements were becoming more and more frenzied.

"Merlin help." Arthur let out in a strangled voice.

Merlin and Gwaine raced over to Arthur, Gwaine unbuckled his cloak and laid it on the ground near Arthur's feet.

"Quick lie her down!" Gwaine said prompting Arthur to lower Gwen onto the cloak.

"What's wrong Merlin? Why is this happening?" Arthur pleaded.

"The fever must have brought on the seizure, probably as a result of brain damaged caused by all those falls. I know a cure that _might_ help, but we need to get her out of this tunnel to do so."

Arthur and Gwaine nodded, knowing now what needed to be done and understanding the implications if they failed. Arthur grasped two ends of the scarlet cloak whilst Gwaine held the other two. Carefully they lifted it- with Gwen still laid inside-'and they created a simple but effective stretcher.

They were able to walk at a much faster pace now and the light was growing visibly brighter with each step. They must be close to the end of the tunnel by now?

Arthur tried to keep his eyesight locked straight ahead: focus on the light, focus on the light. He couldn't let his eyes drift downwards to the struggling form hovering mid-air on a blanket of red...

His eyes soon betrayed him.

Arthur's breath caught in his throat and almost chocked him, making him struggle to breathe at the sight of his beloved in such a drastic state. Every muscle in her body was contracting and in sudden, jerky movements and every inch of her exposed flesh glistened with a thick layer of sweat. Her fitting didn't seem to be getting any less suppressed and Arthur wondered how long it would last. In truth, he didn't think he could last any longer... and neither could his Guinevere.

While his eyes and mind lingered, his legs were fuelled with determination to reach the golden sunlight seeping into the tunnel a little further ahead.

Not too far now.

Sunlight streamed into the dim tunnel and a soft, glow danced around the 3 figures, enveloping them in its comforting warmth (as Merlin was moving at a dramatically faster pace and had already exited the tunnel). Arthur could now clearly see the end of the tunnel a short distance away; he could feel the breeze on his cheeks and hear the melodic chirruping of birds in the trees.

"Just hold on a little longer my love, we're almost there. I made you a promise and I have no intention of breaking it; 'whatever it takes' I told you and I meant it with all my heart."

With one last burst of speed, Gwaine and Arthur broke out of the dark confines of the tunnel and into woodland. They were now surrounded by tall, leafy trees, overgrown bushes and patches of dainty wild flowers- as a pose to the consuming musty darkness.

"No wonder it took so long, look where we are!" Gwaine remarked, indicating to his left where the tops of the castle were partly visible. They had tunnelled right under every castle wall, making their escape easier than anticipated. Well it would have been easier, had Gwen not fallen seriously ill.

Merlin returned to them, clutching his stomach and gasping for air. Reaching into his pocked he retrieved a slightly crumpled flower, with remarkably blue petals and deep red thorns.

"You two need to find me more of these flowers, I found this one by chance but they normally grow near water so look for streams or ponds or lakes." Merlin blurted out in a single breath.

"Okay... blue flower, red thorns... Blue flower, red thorns... Blue flower, red thorns..." Gwaine chanted as he raced into the forest.

Arthur was more reluctant at leaving Gwen but his brain eventually managed to convince him that the only way to help her would be to find the flowers needed for Merlin to treat her.

###

As the Bernia guards departed for their search mission the guests started to flee from the castle, yearning for the safety and security of their own kingdoms.

Soon the courtyard and the surrounding area was packed with hundreds of people, their horses, carts and carriages crowding the roads and any accessible route out of the dangerous kingdom and away from the assassin's reach.

Niryal stood at his window looking down at the scene below.

The mass of people would make it a lot harder to track them as now the woods would be full with travellers and everyone would have to be checked.

Well, he knew that his _princess_ would be travelling back to Camelot with the help of her servant friend, so he would intercept them at Camelot's border. Also, he knew that the party from Camelot travelled on horseback so they had more than likely set off on one of those horses (him being a servant and having access to the key for Camelot's assigned stable) so he would only need to track down those with horses.

'Time to get my own hands dirty.' he thought, rubbing his hands together as his lips upturned in a spiteful smile.

###

As soon as Merlin was confident that neither Arthur or Gwaine were around he crushed the delicate, blue flower in his palm and let the moisture from it drip onto Gwen's lips.

Spreading his palms over Gwen's convulsing body, his eyes flashed Amber and he began to recite an ancient Druid healing spell.

"_Ic haele pina prowunga_." Merlin chanted as his eyes flashed again.

Guinevere's fitting ceased but her fever remained. Her forehead was almost swimming with sweat and droplets clung to her eyelashes. No good, he would have to repeat the spell.

Merlin hesitated. She was starting to stir but she was still unconscious, now may be the only opportunity.

"_Ic haele pina prowunga... Ic haele pina prowunga_!"

Steam started to rise from Gwen's body as the scorching heat escaped from her pores. Her eyelids fluttered open and she stared at Merlin in complete bewilderment. She opened her moth to speak but found that her throat was too dry and sore to form words.

"Shhhh." Merlin soothed, noticing her confusion. "You have been unconscious and are dangerously unwell, I will explain properly later but for now you need to rest and..."

Merlin stopped abruptly at the sound of rustling leaves and snapping branches came from the wood to his left. The sound was faint- as if made from a distance away- and whoever it was didn't seem to be making much of an effort to silence their movements. It was probably Arthur or Gwaine returning for if was someone trying to sneak up on them they would not be making such noise.

"Arthur. Is that you?" Merlin asked cautiously to the trees on his left.

"Yeah, is everything alright? How is Guinevere? I've gathered a few of those flowers for you." replied the familiar voice. Merlin's worries were quickly dismissed and he started to relax.

Until he realised the voice had come from behind him.

From the trees on his right!

Merlin spun around to see Arthur and Gwaine appear from the trees and then his head quickly twisted back to the left as the realisation sunk in. The movements in the trees were growing closer and closer.

Suddenly a horse's neigh rang out load and clear through the trees and without a moments hesitation Arthur lifted Gwen over his shoulder and the 3 men were racing through the dense forest.

Stumbling over tree trunks, darting around bushes, clawing through brambles.

Running from the unknown...

* * *

**Okay, the spell Merlin used was the same one he used to heal Gwen's arrow wound in 'The Hunter's Heart'. Oh and I recently watched Shrek and just had to put the bit in about the blue flower, red thorns. Next chapter will be the last and hopefully it won't take too long to write. Thanks so much for all your continued support- it means so much to me. **


	21. Chapter 21

**Here it is... THE FINAL CHAPTER!**

**I know a lot of you probably weren't expecting this story to be updated ever again and I cannot apologise enough. To cut a long story short my laptop got a virus and everything on it waswiped (including all the chapters to this story), so I had to sent the laptop to a computer store to get it fixed and I had to wait 3 WHOLE WEEKS for it to get sent back. Then I had to retype the whole chapter again-and a as you will see its preeeeeeetyyyyy long- so please forgive me.**

**Huge thanks to everyone who has stuck by this fic right to the end, your support is appreciated more than you probably think. Anyway, hope you enjoy the last chapter, its about the length of 4 of my shorter chapters so it look a life time to write, so hope the wait is worth it...**

Chapter 21

They raced through the dense forest, the sound of hooves growing closer and closer at their backs.

"HALT!" roared a gruff voice from behind, echoing loudly above the clattering hooves and the snapping branches.

"Keep moving! I'm not losing her to them again!" Arthur yelled passionately, spurring them on. He hurdled over a fallen tree, not daring to look behind to see how close their pursuers were.

"STOP!" demanded another voice. "STOP NOW!"

'Never' thought Arthur to himself as he dodged around a patch of brambles. His shoulder ached from the added weight of Guinevere slung over it and his muscles were sore and exhausted; he needed a rest but they hadn't even covered that much distance. What they needed was to find somewhere where horses couldn't access- that would slow their pursuers down for sure.

"ARTHUR STOP! Please!" yelled someone from behind. The voice was strangely familiar and quite feminine, and their desperation was clear in their voice.

Arthur twisted his neck to catch a glimpse of who was following him...

Carriages.

Beautifully crafted and ornately decorated. The same carriages he had admired the very first moment he had entered Bernia.

"ARTHUR! It is you! We weren't sure but one of my knights said they had spotted you but then you bolted and we couldn't be sure. Thank goodness we found you!" Princess Elena sighed in relief, her head poking her head out of one of the carriage windows.

Realising who it was that was following them, Arthur, Merlin and Gwaine all stopped and turned to face their saviours. Surprisingly, there were only 2 carriages and about 5 knights accompanying Princess Elena.

"Quick, lie Gwen in here, you look exhausted." Elena prompted.

"Yeah? Well you did just chase us halfway through a bloody forest!" Gwaine complained in annoyance as Arthur carried Gwen over to the carriage.

"Well if you hadn't bolted the minute we saw you then we wouldn't have had to race to catch up with you, would we?" Elena replied with teasing smile.

"That's not the point."

"Really? Did you even bother to check who was chasing you or do you always just run away from any possible danger?"

Gwaine opened his mouth to retort but quickly closed it again and hung his head, recognising defeat.

Meanwhile in one of Elena's carriages Merlin and Arthur were discussing Gwen's condition. Luckily Merlins spell was successful and the fitting had completely stopped. Her fever was slowly reducing and her overall condition was becoming less critical.

"How is she doing?" asked Elena softly as she stood in the doorway of the carriage.

"Better." Merlin said simply, unsure of what to say in Arthur's presence: not wanting to give him false hope and not wanting to panic him either.

Elena noticed the worried look that Merlin cast sideways in Arthurs direction and understood. Being a princess she had spent years having to meet countless new and curious people but not being allowed to speak unless spoken to. She would sit during feasts and council meetings simply studying people's body language; and she had discovered that what someone didn't say was often more important than what they didn't say. She was a master at reading people. Also, it was due to such skills that she was able to acquire some new information:

"We haven't got long. Niryal has ordered his guards to hunt you down but I noticed that they are only checking anyone riding horses- therefore he must think that you have taken the Camelot horses that you arrived on. So, you travel back in this carriage and my men and I will take the other, that way you will not be caught on you way home."

"But won't it be obvious, a single carriage riding on its own?"

"Not at all. I explained the truth to my father- well the short version- and knowing that there was no threat of an assassin he agreed to split up, as the more of us travelling alone the longer it will take them to search us all."

"Elena you are a genius!" Gwaine exclaimed and Elena smiled self consciously, her cheeks flushing pink.

"I can't tell you how grateful I am, for everything you've done." said Arthur, struggling to find the words to convey his thanks.

"It's no problem, but please hurry up before anyone sees you... oh and write to me once you arrive in Camelot so that I know you are all safe."

Arthur nodded and climbed up into the carriage, followed by Merlin. Gwaine took off his scarlet cloak (so that nobody would know he was a Camelot knight) and folded it up inside the carriage, then placed the blue flowers he had collected on top of it before taking the outside seat and gripping onto the reins.

Soon they were off and flying through the forest at an incredible pace.

... unbeknownst to them, a pair of beady eyes watched the whole encounter from within the nearby bushes.

###

"So what exactly did you see?"

"Well your majesty, I was collecting wood in the forest earlier when I happened to see Princess Sophia in the forest. She looked real ill and she was being carried by a man with a red cloak- I guessed he was a knight from Camelot. But then I don't understand what happened... two of Lord Godwyn's carriages appeared and the men with the Princess took one of them. I thought at first they were escaping from the assassin but then they both headed east away from Bernia. If I may be so bold your highness, I don't think the assassin story is real. There has been no sightings of anyone and there have been no more deaths... I think maybe Princess Sophia has been kidnapped!"

"Sorry, what was your name?"

"Oswald, your majesty. I work as a carpenter in the outlying villages."

"Hmmm... you see Oswald, I already know for a fact that there is no assassin."

"How so, my lord?"

"Because I was the one who fabricated the story. And now we have a problem, as I'm sure you've just realised. But this is easily amended- I hear there are always deaths in the forest: a fallen tree here, a bandit attack there. GUARDS, take him away!"

"NO! PLEASE! I haven't done anything wrong!"

###

"It won't be long now until we reach the border to Camelot. We'll be safe then." Merlin stated. Once they were officially in Camelot there would be no possible way for Niryal to touch them; the whole of Camelot's army would be at their disposal.

Arthur sighed.

The past few weeks had been horrendous... but it was nearly over now. Nearly.

He stroked Gwen's cheek gently, brushing away the stray curls as he so often did. Leaning forwards he pressed his lips onto her forehead in a soft, loving kiss. He could not imagine how she must feel, to go through so much in such a short space of time. Attempted rape, being in a coma, kidnap, being trapped alone in a unknown kingdom, then being repeatedly beaten and forced to marry a man you hate.

But she was safe now. She was with the people that loved her. Her fever had stopped, the fitting had stopped and her breathing had become normal again. Merlin said that she would regain consciousness within an hour... and then they would have to explain everything that had happened since she collapsed in the aisle.

Then a menacing yell echoed through the trees and heavy footsteps drew nearer to the carriage. That's when it began.

Suddenly the carriage jerked to a halt and the haunting sound of clanging swords could he heard from outside.

Arthur looked to Merlin, panic written across his face.  
"I need to help Gwaine, stay here with Guinevere. Whatever you do don't leave her, promise me Merlin."

"I promise, now go."

Arthur hastily leaned down and kissed Gwen, closing his eyes and savouring the sweet taste of her rosy lips. Then, straightening up, he opened the carriage door and jumped onto the forest floor, drawing his sword and charging towards the attackers.

Just as he had guessed there was a group of Niryal's guards approaching the carriage.

As soon as the door had closed shut Merlin turned to Gwen.

It was now or never.

Taking one of the blue flowers that Arthur had collected Merlin crushed it in the palm of his hand and let it's moisture drip into Gwen's mouth. He faced his palm over Gwen's motionless body as his eyes flashed gold as he performed the spell.

"_Ic hele pina prowunga_." he said whilst scrutinising Gwen for any sign of improvment.

"Gwen... Gwen can you hear me?" Merlin asked, his eyes scrutinising her face for any sign of consciousness. Her eyelids fluttered and her lips parted slightly to silently form the word Merlin- but the spell didn't seem to have effected her very much.

Gathering up all his inner strength, Merlin closed his eyes and focused his mind until he could feel every fibre of his body ignite with magic.

"_Ic hele pina prowunga_" he repeated as his eyes flashed golden once again. When he opened his eyes he instantly let out a sigh of relief.

Gwen lay staring up at him through half open eyes- her eyelids fighting to stay open against the surge of exhaustion that flooded her body. She gave him a knowing smile- as if laughing at a private joke- and edged herself up into a sitting position with Merlin's help.

"What are you smiling at?" Merlin asked curiously, quite entertained by Gwen's ability to be so close to death yet have a smile on her face.

Gwen opened her mouth to reply, but then thought better of it and simply answered "Nothing" with an even bigger smile.

Just then there was an ear piercing scream from outside which drew Gwen's attention to the door.

"What's going on?" she asked, the smile completely wiped from her face.

Merlin paused. He didn't want to have to tell her that Niryal had come to take her back, not while she was recovering and still confused. But then again she was tough and there was no use lying to her.

"We escaped from the castle and into the forest but Niryal and his men have tracked us down and started to attack. Arthur and Gwaine are outside."

"Then why aren't we helping them?"

"Arthur told me to stay with you."

"Typical." Gwen stood up and put her hand on the door handle.

"No! I promised Arthur. I said I'd protect you."

"I don't need protecting."

"But Niryal's come for you! He's come to take you back to Bernia! Arthur will die if you go back there, we can't lose you again Gwen!"

"Then use me as a distraction. They don't stand a chance on their own... but _you_ could finish this, couldn't you. Because I can't sit here and let Arthur and Gwaine die for me, not after everything they've done for me already!" and with that Gwen swung open the door and jumped straight out of the carriage.

"NO!" Merlin yelled and jumped out after her.

Gwen was right: they didn't stand a chance on their own. Arthur and Gwaine were skilled knights- which was probably the only reason they weren't dead already- but even they had no hope of winning as they were completely outnumbered. Every time they killed one of Niryal's guards another just charged forwards and took his place.

Arthur was simultaneously fighting against four of Niryal's men, determinedly blocking everyone of their blows, but it was obvious that exhaustion was starting to kick in.

And exhaustion leads to mistakes. That's the first thing they teach new army recruits.

The sword blade tore through the air quicker than Arthur anticipated, and his aching muscles had little time to react.

The blade struck his shoulder, slicing open his flesh and causing a dark red stain to spread along his chain mail. Arthur winced as the pain seared through his arm, but gritting his teeth against it he quickly swung his sword and plunged it into his attackers stomach. The man had expected Arthur to collapse after such an injury and had therefore been unprepared for such a sudden strike. He fell to the ground, clutching the deep wound on his stomach as scarlet blood seeped into the grass.

Another one of Arthur's attackers was dead but others were fast approaching, their swords raised and glinting tauntingly in the sunlight. His shoulder was agonisingly painful and he barely enough energy left to hold his sword up.

This was the end. This was where he would die.

"Arthuuuurrrrrr!"

His eyes widened. He knew that voice anywhere! His head twisted frantically from side to side, trying to locate the source of the noise.

And there she was. Standing frozen, still wearing her cream wedding dress, her hair blowing wildly in the wind, tears flowing down her cheeks, her eyes staring in horror at his blood soaked chainmail.

"Guinevere" Arthur yelled across the forest, "Get back to the carriage!" he pleaded, begging her to get to safety. And in the few seconds that followed his world fell apart.

Gwen slowly shook her head, tears still rolling down her cheeks, spun on her heel and darted further away from the carriage- making herself more obvious to Niryal's men.

"IT'S PRINCESS SOPHIA!" yelled one of the guards, catching the attention of all of the others. All heads turned in the direction of Gwen and realising that she was the number 1 priority soon all of the Niryal's guards were racing through the forest after her.

The men who were previously about to attack Arthur joined in the pursuit of the _princess_, leaving Arthur alone and bewildered.

"What the hell is she thinking!" roared Arthur, his body shaking with fear and confusion. She had appeared and then disappeared so suddenly he couldn't get his head around it.

"She's creating a diversion. I tried to stop her Arthur but-"

"You were supposed to protect her. I trusted you with her life and now she is being chased through the forest by Niryal's men. She's not recovered yet, she should be resting, and now she'll be captured and taken back to marry Niryal. Oh why does this keep happening to us?" Arthur shouted, tears glistening in his eyes and his palms balled into tight fists.

"It won't happen. Not this time. Get in the carriage and we'll catch up with them in no time, Merlin you go eastwards and see if you can intercept them." Gwaine commanded.

He and Arthur then leapt onto the front of the carriage whilst Merlin raced into the trees.

###

It wasn't hard to locate the surge of Niryal's men as they charged though the forest- even without Merlin's magic- as they made such an offending racquet. Clanging swords, heavy footsteps and gruff shouts: he was able to track them in no time.

Merlin hid behind a large bush, waiting for the men to get nearer. As soon as they were in eyesight, Merlin lifted out his arm, palm facing the the large oak infront of him, "_Forbairn ypile_" he muttered as his eyes flashed golden. With a flash of light the oak burst into flames and fell to the ground with an immense thud, blocking the men's path. The Bernian guards leapt back in surprise and- as Merlin expected- they swiftly changed direction and began running away from the wall of fire. Again Merlin muttered the same spell and with another flash of light a large tree opposite the burning oak similarly erupted into flames and fell across their path. Then, before the men could even consider another escape route, a tree either side of them caught fire and fell to the ground, creating a square of fire around the men.

Merlin smiled in self satisfaction, having successfully trapped all of Niryal's men without spilling any blood. The four fiery walls which rose up around them were impenetrable but at the same time were not capable of killing or burning anyone who came into contact with them. The men would be safely trapped until nightfall when the flames would eventually die down.

Next task: find Gwen!

###

"There she is!"

"Are you sure? I can't see anyone."

"Of course I'm sure: I'd know her anywhere! Look to the left, ahead of the fire we just rode past."

"Oh yeah that must be Gw... SHIT ARTHUR! There's guards close behind her!"

At this news Arthur leapt off the carriage, knowing he could catch up with them a lot faster on foot, as they wouldn't have to stick to the paths that way.

"GUINEVERE!" he screamed as he hurdled over fallen trees and thorn bushes. They were so close. So close to Camelot, so close to home... he couldn't lose her now, not after everything they had both been through. She was his life, his world, he couldn't bear it if she... if she...

Her terrified scream echoed through the forest and it tore at Arthurs heart, ripping it in half.

He quickened his pace, ignoring the burning pace in his muscles, determined to reach her.

In no time he saw her. Cream linen against the green and brown camouflage. Pressed up against the bark of a tree by one of Niryal's guards. Two others stood behind him, smirks plastered over both their faces.

Arthur felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to see Gwaine standing behind him, his face a mixture of anger and determination.

"Let's do it." he said with deadly intent.

Arthur nodded, his eyes ablaze with fury. Three men stood between him and his true love and he would stop at nothing to save her: whatever it took.

Drawing his sword Arthur looked to Gwaine.

"Three... two... one... NOW!" he bellowed and they both charged through the forest, swords raised and ready to attack.

Arthur clashed swords with one of the guards whilst Gwaine tackled the other. Arthur threw...  
but every time his opponent managed to block them. Although the guard was breathing heavily and his movements were rather sluggish, Arthur was surprised at how skilled the man was compared to all Niryal's other guards.

Their fight seemed to go on forever. Neither man was injured in the slightest and neither of them seemed to be winning. Until...

A dull thud followed by the crunching of leaves. Arthur looked up to see that the guard holding Gwen had taken off his helmet and dropped it on the ground. He raised his eyebrows at Arthur and his lips upturned to form a sly grin.

It was Niryal.

That explained why these two guards fought a lot more skilfully than the rest: they were the kings personal guards. Arthur had never expected Niryal to get his own hands dirty, but here he was, with Gwen stood with her back pulled to his chest, a large hand firmly over her mouth and his sword positioned at her neck.

Arthur and Gwaine simultaneously froze in shock. Their arms fell limply at their sides as the fighting spirit seemed to drain from their bodies. Their attackers both pointed their swords at them, silently forbidding them from moving.

"Arthur" said Niryal with a amused expression, "I must admit I didn't expect you to have been the secret accomplice. Who would have guessed, eh? The Prince and the serving girl, how very... intruiging."

"Let Guinevere go or I swear you will pay with your life!" Arthur said fiercely.

"Haha, you won't want her now anyway- now that she is ruined." Niryal said with a suggestive smile and lust filled eyes.

"YOU LYING BASTARD!" roared Arthur, about to run and lunge at Niryal until the guard at his side grabbed hold of his arms, pulled them behind his back and pushed him down onto his knees. Arthur struggled and squirmed but the guards grip was like iron.

Niryal couldn't seem to control his amusement at Arthurs outburst. Laughing triumphantly he teased the broken Prince.

"And what reason would I have to lie boy? Did you really think that I would keep her in my castle for over a week without getting my way with her, huh? It seems your precious serving girl is really no more that a dirty little whore."

Arthur shook with outrage and hot tears of barely contained anger rolled down his cheeks. He didn't know how to respond. His head was so consumed with anger he couldn't think of what to say or do.

Gwen gave Arthur a little shake of her head, hoping he would understand. Surely he didn't believe Niryal's account?

"The truth hurts doesn't it Pendragon. Maybe I should just keep the girl and you should just find someone else to- ARGGGH!" Niryal yelped in pain as Gwen bit down hard on the hand over her mouth. Niryal instinctively retracted his hand and Gwen spun on the spot so that she was now facing Niryal. Bringing her knee up straight up between his legs; not once but twice. Then she kicked him in the chest- making him fall backwards onto the ground- and then swiftly bolted away from his reach.

At that moment, two sword flew through the air and each one embedded itself in each of the other guards, who fell to the ground: dead in an instant.

Arthur and Gwaine both turned to look behind them, just in time to see Merlin appear from behind a magnificent looking oak, a third sword clutched in his hand.

"Belonged to the dead Bernian guards." Merlin said casually, indicating the sword in his hand.

Arthur stared steadily at Merlin, his mouth open in disbelief: "How did you... since when can you... how the hell?"

"Merlin has many hidden talents, don't you Merlin."  
Gwen said with a soft, calm smile, her eyes twinkling as she too stared steadily at Merlin.

Merlin shifted uneasily under her gaze. She knew. No doubt about it, she definitely knew. It was what she would choose to do with the information which made Merlin anxious.

"And can I just say, amazing job with the ninja skills back there! You would make a fine knight of Camelot!" Gwaine congratulated.

"Without a doubt, I'm so proud of you Guinevere!" said Arthur. "But are you alright, you aren't hurt or anything are you?"

"No Arthur I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Because if you're not we can-"

"Arthur I'm fine, honest. But what about your shoulder-"

"My shoulder is just a little scratch, it doesn't even hurt that much." Arthur lied. "But its you that I'm worried about, you've only just recovered from another serious black out. Please, I just want to make sure your ok."

"I suppose I could do with a rest, my head has been spinning ever since I woke up."

"In that case go with Merlin- he'll know what to do. I just need to deal with a few things before we return to Camelot." Arthur said in a deathly voice, his head turning to glare at Niryal splayed out on the ground.

"Actually, there's something I want to do first."

Gwen started to walk in the direction of Niryal but Arthur caught her hand, halting her.

"You don't need to do this." he said softly. He knew she wasn't a violent person and he didn't want her to regret her actions, knowing her gentle spirit might suffer.

Gwen gave him a small reassuring smile and slipped her hand out of his clutch, her face changing to an emotionless mask as she approached Niryal.

She stood over Niryal, her eyes uncharacteristically cold and unforgiving as she stared down at his form. He must have hit his head when he fell because there was a large purple bump beginning to form on his forehead and although he was conscious he seemed very dazed and disorientated- which was probably why he hadn't tried to run away.

"Have you come to kill me?" he said in a amused voice, his head swaying with dizziness.

Gwen stared coldly down at him, contemplating his question.

"Because I don't think you will. I think you are too weak." Niryal continued mockingly. "The poor, vulnerable, defenceless girl who got taken away from home and was too weak to do anything about it. Because that's what you are... poor, vulnerable, defenceless, helpless- ARGHHHHH!"

Gwen stamped on his face with all the force she could muster and soon blood began to gush from his disfigured nose. His screams of pain did not faze Gwen as she stood looking down at him with disgust.

"That was for making me believe that I would be trapped with you in a living nightmare until the day I died." she spat with contempt and walked away without another word.

As she reached the others Arthur enclosed her in a tight embrace: his warm, comforting arms locked protectively around her. After a while, Arthur drew back a little and stroked his fingers across her cheek.

"Go with Merlin to the carriage. I'll be there shortly." he whispered softly to her, and she gave a small nod in agreement. Arthur then silently passed her to Merlin who wrapped his arm around her shoulder and guided her into the trees.

Arthur looked at Gwaine, his own grim expression mirrored in his friends face.

For too long now, Arthur had contained his burning rage. The attempted rape, the abduction, the forced marriage, the violent abuse she suffered... the anger all built up to this moment.

Nobody was here: just him and Gwaine. He had promised he would do whatever it took to protect Gwen, and he couldn't let Niryal harm her ever again... not ever!

It had to be done.

And it was going to be as excruciating as possible.

###

"So when did you find out?"

Merlin and Gwen were sat in the carriage, surrounded by an uncomfortable silence- that was until Merlin interrupted it with the question that had been eating away at him.

Gwen paused, unsure how to answer.

"Well... the first time you tried to heal me using that spell. You remember I was starting to stir but you obviously thought I was still unconscious so you repeated the spell. At first I thought I was dreaming, but then later you must have performed the spell again because I started to wake up; I tried to say your name but I wasn't fully conscious so you said the spell again. But that time I heard you loud and clear. My brain tried to tell me it was a trick but I saw you... I saw you say those strange words... And later when you threw those swords, I knew for certain that you had magic."

"I'm sorry Gwen honestly, I'm so sorry, I should have told you. I am sincerely sorry for lying but I had no choice. Truly Gwen I wish things were different but I'm so sorry."

"Merlin you have nothing to apologise for." Gwen said, taking hold of his hand.

"What? You're not angry?" Merlin said, his face full of immense confusion.

"How could I be angry with you when you saved my life. Besides, you're my best friend and I'm certain you would never do anything cruel with your magic. To be honest, I think I already knew- deep down. The way you always managed to escape deadly situations, the way you seem so wise and knowledgeable, the way you were always disappearing when something happened: I'm not nearly as gullible as Arthur, I never believed the tavern excuse."

"Ha, you'd think I would be too drunk to stand if I was really in the tavern all those times. So you're not angry?"

"No. I must admit I'm a little hurt that you never confided in me, but I know it must have been hard to trust someone when your life was in danger."

"I did trust you Gwen, that was the hard part. But Arthur wasn't ready to find out and I didn't want to force you to lie to him, I couldn't burden you with such a-"

"Don't worry. I understand."

Merlin sighed in relief and grinned widely at Gwen, unable to contain his excitement at being able to share such a heavy load with someone he trusted.

"I have so many stories Gwen, you can't imagine the amazing things I have seen!"

Gwens face lit up as she noticed the joyous glint in her best friend's eyes. She was truly happy that he didn't have to lie anymore- even if it was only to one less person.

"I can't wait!" she said, mirroring Merlin's ecstatic grin.

"What can't you wait for?" Gwaine said peeking his head around the carriage door.

Merlin frozed in panic but Gwen was quick off the mark with a sweet smile: "I can't wait to get home, back to Camelot. It has been too long."

"Indeed, it has been far too long." Gwaine said sadly, knowing full well how traumatising it must have been for Gwen to be away from her home and friends for so long and during such a terrible ordeal when she needed them most.

The sound of someone clearing their throat loudly drew everyones attention to the man stood awkardly just outside the carriage. He extended his arm to Gwen, his eyes asking her a silent question and she gave him a half smile in reply, taking his hand and allowing him to lead her out of the carriage. They walked through the trees in a comfortabe silence, both enjoying the closeness of the other, neither needing words to express their love.

Soon they stopped at a fallen tree, Arthur prompted Gwen to rest on it and shortly after he seated himself beside her. The movement caused a wave of pain to flood through his injured shoulder and he winced, hoping Gwen would not notice his sharp intake of breath.

"Oh Arthur I thought you said it didn't hurt? Here, let me take a look."

Arthur was about to open his mouth to argue but Gwen shot him a look that made him think twice about refusing her help. Instead he shrugged off his chainmail and opened the top of his shirt to expose his shoulder.

Gwen gasped at the bloody mess.

"It could have been worse." She said calmly, assesing the damage. "There is a single clean cut and as long asyou get it cleaned properly it should heal without any problems."

Gwen reached down to the hem of her muddied wedding gown and tore off a strip of fabric. With delicate, skilled movements she tied the cloth around Arthur's wound, pausing momentarily as Arthur winced in pain. She finished wrapping it and finally tied it off with a tight knot.

"Finished." She said, looking up to see Arthur's eyes enchanted with her fingers as they secured the fabric.

"You know I Love you, don't you." he said in a strange voice.

"Of course I do. And I love you too: with all my heart." Gwen replied passionately.

"I just want you to know that I will never let anyone hurt you ever again. Never! And I promise you... Niryal will not cause you any more pain."

Arthur's mind drifted back to the scene that lay further into the forest. Niryal's body lay scattered along the leafy ground: like the remnants of a bin which had been carelessly knocked over. That's what he was- filth strewn all over the ground. He had not had a dignifying end befitting of a king. No, he had been subjected to Arthur's rage, and it had been painful. Very painful. He had been conscious for every strike, (so he could feel the pain that he had brought to so many in the last few weeks) right until the very end when his body could bear the pain no longer.

Arthur was not proud of his actions, but they were justified and he was not prepared to give niryal a light sentence. Besides, he needed to do whatever it took to protect his Guinevere- that's what mattered most.

Looking to Gwen again, he found his comfort. She was safe. She was safe at last.

"I just love you so much. My life has been hell without you and I never want to be parted from you again. You complete me Guinevere and without you it feels like I'm missing a part of me... a part I can't live without. I want to spend the rest of my life with you; I want to wake up with you at my side every morning, I want to build a beautiful family with you and I want to grow old with you. So Guinevere, my darling Guinevere... will you marry me?"

Gwen looked at him stunned, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!"

Arthur's face lit up and with pure joy he picked up Gwen and spun her around; ignoring the searing pain in his shoulder, because with Guinevere at his side he could endure any pain imaginable.


End file.
